NOETH AMERICAN MARSH BIRDS 131 



Egg dates. — Southern Lower California: 12 records, February 15 

 to June 19; 6 records, February 18. 



ARDEA CINEREA CINEREA Linnaeus 

 EUROPEAN HERON 



HABITS 



Contributed by Charles Wendell Townsend 



While this heron ranges through Europe, Asia, and Africa, its only 

 claim for recognition in North America is the fact that it is acciden- 

 tal in Greenland. A young bird has been found dead there and Hag- 

 erup (1891) says it is "an occasional visitor in south Greenland. In 

 Benzon's collection there was a skin from Godthaab taken January 

 14,1877." 



Resembling closely our great blue heron in plumage and habits, 

 the European heron, known in England as the common heron or 

 simply as the heron — the Tiearnshaw of Shakespeare's day — differs 

 from our bird in being somewhat smaller and paler, and in lacking 

 the rich brown of the legs and bend of wing. 



Nesting. — Where the birds are much persecuted and diminished in 

 numbers, solitary nests are occasionally found, but the normal habit 

 of this heron appears to be to nest in colonies of from 3 or 4 pairs 

 up to 20 or 30 or even to 100 or more. As a rule the heron builds its 

 nest near the top of a tall tree, a pine or fir or oak, often in open sit- 

 uations and on high ground, frequently at a distance from the water 

 yet in some cases close beside it. Nesting colonies are also found on 

 precipitous cliffs near the coast, the nest being placed on low bushes 

 or amidst ivy. The nest is said on rare occasions to be placed 

 among reeds and rushes on the ground. The excrements of the birds 

 have a disastrous effect on the trees, as in all heronries, and, on 

 this account, the attempt is sometimes made to drive the birds out, 

 although as a rule a heronry is considered an interesting and desir- 

 able asset to an estate. Although heronries are not so large nor so 

 numerous in England as in the old days of falconry when they were 

 zealously guarded, they still exist in considerable numbers. 



The nests are large flat structures made up of sticks and twigs, 

 occasionally built up on old nests of cormorants, and lined with sheep's 

 wool where this can be obtained on the moors, or with hair, dry 

 grasses, moss, rushes or flags. 



Eggs. — [Author's note: The European heron usually lays four or 

 five eggs, but occasionally as many as six or even seven. They are 

 practically indistinguishable in general appearance from those of our 

 great blue heron. They are described in Witherby's (1290^24) 

 Handbook as "dull light blue-green, frequently splashed with white- 

 wash and sometimes stained with blood." The measurements there- 

 in given, of 101 eggs, average 60.2 by 43 millimeters; the eggs 



