Grey heron
Amazing fact
A grey heron stands still in water and waits for prey to approach.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
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An illustration based on the real animal.
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A grey heron stands still in water and waits for prey to approach.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Grey heron
- Scientific name
- Ardea cinerea
- Japanese name
- アオサギ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Genus
- Ardea
Where the name “Grey heron” comes from
The Japanese name aosagi comes from its bluish feathers.
井の頭自然文化園It is the biggest heron in Japan, and it catches fish, frogs, insects and other animals at the water's edge to eat.
When the breeding season begins in spring, the color of its bill, legs and eyes changes from yellow to pink.
It usually lives alone, but at nesting time it gathers with others and builds its nest up in a tree.
How the Grey heron lives
It wades in shallow water or moves on land to find food. It catches prey with its bill and generally swallows it whole. It often roosts on the ground by day and takes cover in trees near dusk.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Total length: 90–100 cm
- Diet
- Small animals such as fish, insects, and frogs
- Range
- Japan, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Eurasia, and Africa
Where the Grey heron has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- アオサギ
- 简体中文
- 苍鹭
- 繁體中文
- 蒼鷺
- 한국어
- 왜가리
- Español
- Garza real
- Français
- Héron cendré
- Deutsch
- Graureiher
- Português (Brasil)
- Garça-moura-europeia
- Italiano
- Airone cenerino
- العربية
- بلشون أرمد
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Cangak abu
- Tiếng Việt
- Diệc xám
- Русский
- Серая цапля
- Türkçe
- Gri balıkçıl
- ไทย
- นกกระสานวล
- বাংলা
- সাদা বক
- اردو
- سرمئی بگلا
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 井の頭自然文化園 — アオサギChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Ardea cinereaChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Grey heron, look for this
- Look for the black feathers extending from an adult’s white head toward its neck.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Grey heron
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
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Others in Ardeidae
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