Glossary of heron watching terms
Definitions of the terms used across the handbook, from flight line and heronry to vantage point and wader.
The terms below appear across the chapters. They are listed in alphabetical order.
- Flight line
- The route a heron takes between its roost, its feeding spots and its nest, often a straight line over the same reeds or fields.
- Heronry
- A colony of nests, usually in tall trees, where herons breed together. Keep your distance from a heronry during the breeding season.
- Margin
- The band where open water meets reeds, rushes, weed or bank. Herons often stand along this edge.
- Mudflat
- A stretch of soft mud left uncovered when the tide goes out, usually found in estuaries. Keep off mudflats, which can trap feet.
- Plumes
- Long, fine feathers on the head, neck and back that some herons grow in the breeding season.
- Reedbed
- A dense stand of reeds in shallow water. It gives cover to herons and to the small animals they hunt.
- Roost
- A place where birds gather to rest, often at night, sometimes in trees near water.
- Shallows
- Water shallow enough for a heron to wade and see into, roughly as deep as its legs are long.
- Stalk
- The slow, careful walk a heron makes toward its prey, lifting and placing each foot with care.
- Stand
- The still, hunched pose a heron holds while it watches the water. It can last for many minutes.
- Strike
- The quick forward thrust of the bill that takes a fish, a frog or a small animal from the water.
- Vantage point
- A place that gives a clear view over a feeding ground without putting you close to the birds.
- Wader
- A bird that feeds in shallow water or on mud, with long legs for wading. Herons and egrets are waders.