Chapter
Telling a grey heron from other waders
How to separate a grey heron from little egrets, great white egrets, bitterns and cormorants by size, colour, bill and flight.
Most mistakes come from a quick look at a pale bird standing in water. A grey heron is large, tall and grey, and it has a clear set of marks that separate it from the other waders you are likely to meet. Work through those marks in order, and do not decide on the first glance.
| Bird | Colour | Bill and legs | Flight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grey heron | Grey and pale, with a dark stripe over the eye | Yellow bill, long legs | Neck folded back, legs trailing |
| Little egret | White all over | Black bill, black legs, yellow feet | Neck folded back, smaller and slimmer |
| Great white egret | White, larger and taller | Yellow bill, black legs | Neck folded back, slow wingbeats |
| Bittern | Brown and streaked, well camouflaged | Yellow bill, greenish legs | Low, heavy flight over reeds |
| Cormorant | Dark, nearly black | Hooked bill, dark legs | Low, neck outstretched, often swimming |
Steps
- Note the size first. Compare the bird with a nearby reed stem or with another bird of known size, since a grey heron stands taller than most of the waders you will see.
- Look at the colour of the body. Grey and pale with a dark stripe over the eye points to a grey heron, while plain white points to an egret.
- Check the bill and legs. A yellow bill with long legs points to a grey heron or a great white egret, and a black bill with black legs and yellow feet points to a little egret.
- Watch it take off if it does. A grey heron folds its neck back into an S-shape and lets its legs trail beyond the tail.
- Wait for a second view. Turn to the next bird or the next flight to confirm what you thought you saw.
What can go wrong
The common error is judging a grey bird in poor light. A grey heron can look almost white in low sun and dark in shade, so the body colour alone is not reliable. The bill tends to show more clearly than the body when light is poor, so look there first.
A bittern can stand so still among reeds that only its head and neck show. If the bird is mostly hidden, write it down as unidentified rather than guessing. A cormorant on the water can also look like a heron from a distance, so check whether the bird is wading or swimming low.
How to tell it went right
You can name the bird from its bill, body and flight without needing to see it twice. If you cannot decide, write it down as unidentified and note what you saw. A plain, honest note is more useful later than a confident wrong name.