Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

The Old World counterpart of the Great Blue Heron, the Grey Heron is a tall, long-necked wader of rivers, lakes, and coasts across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It stands motionless for long stretches in the shallows before spearing fish with a lightning jab of its dagger bill. It nests colonially in treetop platforms called heronries.