Grey herons (Ardea cinerea) raising chicks in a nest. This large heron is found throughout temperate regions of Europe and Asia, near estuaries, marsh

---

Grey herons (Ardea cinerea) raising chicks in a nest. This large heron is found throughout temperate regions of Europe and Asia, near estuaries, marshes, rivers and lakes. It builds a bulky nest from sticks, and lays 3-4 eggs. Both parents will feed the young with regurgitated food. They feed mostly on fish, which they spear with their long, dagger-like bills, but they also eat small mammals and young birds. The chicks leave the nest some 7-8 weeks after hatching. Photographed in the Camargue wetland area of France.

---

Size: 3406px × 5127px
Photo credit: © CHRIS HELLIER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, aquatic, ardea, behaviour, biological, biology, bird, birds, breeding, camargue, chick, chicks, cinerea, europe, european, fauna, feeding, female, france, french, grey, heron, herons, male, mate, mates, nature, nest, nesting, ornithological, ornithology, pair, piscivore, piscivorous, predator, predatory, raising, reproduction, reproductive, spl11, wader, waterbird, wetland, wildlife, young, zoological, zoology