Volume 34, Plate Vignette / Ornithology (Birds)

Common Heron

Ardea cinerea

A picturesque wading bird widely distributed over the British Islands, the Common Heron exceeds three feet in length and is pale blackish-grey above with a white crown, black crest plumes, purplish-grey neck, white breast bordered with black, and yellowish-brown legs. Graceful by the water yet awkward in trees, it stalks streams, lakes, and tidal shores, transfixing fish, reptiles, water rats, and young birds with a swift stroke of its bill.