November

Grey Heron is a common winter visiting migratory bird of Hong Kong. In autumn and winter times you can easily spot them in different types of wetlands such as ponds, riversides, mudflats and even man-made drainage channels.

Grey Heron is a large waterbird, measuring about 1m in body length. It has a pair of long legs for wading in shallow water. Just like other herons and egrets, Grey Heron has a long neck and a dagger-like bill. When feeding it stands still in water and wait for unwary preys to move nearby. When the prey gets close enough, Grey Heron’s long neck, which has already bent into an 'S' shape, will fling out rapidly like a powerful spring. Together with the sharp bill make Grey Heron a formidable hunter for fishes, frogs and large insects. It usually hunts on its own, but individuals may gather into large groups during rest time.

The adult of Grey Heron has a light grey body, with black and white patches on its neck and head. Two stripes of black nape feathers on the head make the bird looks outstanding! Immature bird has feathers darker grey, while the black patches are lighter in colour, giving it an overall lower contrast. Grey Heron is the only large-sized grey-colored heron / egret in Hong Kong. These characteristics make it a easily identified birds.