Grey Heron
Grey HeronGrey HeronGrey HeronGrey Heron

Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
50–60% · Likely
overall probability at Wilpattu National Park
232 Verified records at Wilpattu National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water, or stalking its prey through the shallows. Standing up to 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) tall, adults weigh from 1 to 2 kg (2 to 4 lb). They have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. Wikipedia →

50–60% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Heron sighting in Wilpattu National Park, based on 232 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Wilpattu National Park

Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

50–60% · Likely
Purple Heron
LC

Purple Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea purpurea

50–60% · Likely
Ardea modesta

Ardea modesta

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea modesta

Insufficient data
Indian Pond Heron
LC

Indian Pond Heron

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ardeola grayii

60–70% · Likely
Little Egret
LC

Little Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta garzetta

50–60% · Likely
intermediate egret

intermediate egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta intermedia

50–60% · Likely
Black-crowned Night Heron
LC

Black-crowned Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nycticorax nycticorax

10–20% · With luck
Striated Heron
LC

Striated Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Butorides striata

5–10% · With luck
Malayan Night Heron
LC

Malayan Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gorsachius melanolophus

Insufficient data
Western Reef Egret
LC

Western Reef Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta gularis

Insufficient data
Black-headed Ibis
LC

Black-headed Ibis

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Threskiornis melanocephalus

50–60% · Likely
Grey Pelican
NT

Grey Pelican

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Pelecanus philippensis

20–30% · Possible

📅 Monthly Probability

50–60
Jan
50–60
Feb
50–60
Mar
40–50
Apr
60–70
May
60–70
Jun
50–60
Jul
40–50
Aug
60–70
Sep
50–60
Oct
30–40
Nov
50–60
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
70–80%
2 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
70–80%
3 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
70–80%
4 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
60–70%
5 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
60–70%
6 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
60–70%
7 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
60–70%
8 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
50–60%
9 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
50–60%
10 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
50–60%
11 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
50–60%
12 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
50–60%
13 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
50–60%
14 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
50–60%
15 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
16 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
50–60%
17 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
50–60%
18 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
40–50%
19 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
40–50%
20 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
40–50%
21 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
40–50%
22 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
40–50%
23 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
40–50%
24 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
25 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
26 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
30–40%
27 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
30–40%
28 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
29 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
30–40%
30 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
30–40%
31 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
32 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
30–40%
33 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
34 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
35 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
20–30%
36 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
20–30%
37 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
20–30%
38 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
39 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
20–30%
40 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
41 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
42 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
20–30%
43 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
20–30%
44 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
45 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
46 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
20–30%
47 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
20–30%
48 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
49 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
20–30%
50 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
51 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
52 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
53 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
20–30%
54 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
55 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
56 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
10–20%
57 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
58 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
10–20%
59 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
10–20%
60 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
10–20%
61 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
62 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
10–20%
63 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
64 Hemis National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
65 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
10–20%
66 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
10–20%
67 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
10–20%
68 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
69 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
10–20%
70 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
71 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
72 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
73 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
5–10%
74 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
75 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
76 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
77 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
5–10%
78 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
5–10%
79 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
80 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
5–10%
81 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
5–10%
82 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
5–10%
83 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
5–10%
84 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
85 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
<5%
86 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
<5%
87 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
88 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
89 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
<5%
90 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
<5%
91 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
92 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
<5%
93 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
94 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
95 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
96 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
97 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
98 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
99 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
100 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
101 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
102 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
103 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
104 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
105 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
106 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
107 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
108 Ranomafana National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
109 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
110 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Insufficient data
111 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
112 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Grey Heron in Wilpattu National Park?

About 53% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Heron sighting in Wilpattu National Park, based on 232 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Grey Heron in Wilpattu National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Grey Heron in Wilpattu National Park in our monthly data.

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