THE HERON 



[ORDER: Ciconiiformes. SUBORDER: Ardece. FAMILY: Ardeidce] 

 PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 



[E. HARTERT. F. C. R. JOURDAIN. W. P. PYCRAFT. A. L. THOMSON] 



COMMON-HERON \_Ardea cinerea Linnaeus. Grey-heron, hern, Jack- 

 herne or yarn, heronshaw or hernshaw, crane ; haigrie (Shetlands) ; longnix 

 (Cheshire). French, heron huppe or cendre ; German, Fischreiher ; Italian, 

 airone cenerino], 



I. Description. The large size, grey plumage, powder-down-patches, the 

 long dagger-like beak, and the large hind-toe, which is on the same level as the 

 front toes, distinguish the heron, at all ages, from all other British birds. The 

 sexes are alike in plumage, and there is no seasonal change of coloration. (PL 168.) 

 Length 36 in. [914 mm.]. The uniformity of the delicate French-grey of the 

 plumage is relieved by the pure white of the fore-part of the head, cheeks, and fore- 

 part of the neck, which is marked by sharply defined lines of bluish black on a white 

 ground, while a black band runs from the base of the beak backwards over the eye, 

 widening as it goes, to terminate in a long pendant, black crest. A patch of black 

 feathers covers the wrist-joint when the wing is folded, and the feathers of the 

 outer scapulars are produced into long narrow streamers. Similarly the feathers 

 of the base of the neck hang down far below the contour of the body. The under 

 parts are white relieved by a broad band of black on each side. The beak and 

 iris are yellow ; the lores and the bare skin round the eye yellowish green ; the legs 

 and toes chocolate-brown. The female differs from the male only in her shorter 

 crest and slightly duller hues. The juvenile plumage differs from that of the 

 adults in its almost uniform ash colour, and in lacking the crest on the head, the 

 long pendant feathers at the base of the neck, and the elongated scapulars. The 

 black patch over the wrist of the adult is represented in the young by a similar patch 



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