Gray Heron Ardea cinerea Scientific name definitions

Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758, Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, p. 143.—Europe [restricted to Sweden by Hartert (1 Hartert, E. (1920). Die Vögel der paläarktischen Fauna: Systematische Übersicht der in Europa, Nord-Asien und der mittelmeerregion vorkommenden Vögel. Heft X (Band II, 4). R. Friedländer & Sons, Berlin, Germany. Close : 1229)]. (5 Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. 10th ed. Volume 1. Holmiae: Tom. I. Laurentii Salvii. Close )

No original holotype specimen was designated or is known to exist.

Most of the Palearctic and thinly through Africa, India, and Sri Lanka.

As described by Linnaeus (5 Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. 10th ed. Volume 1. Holmiae: Tom. I. Laurentii Salvii. Close ), A. c. cinerea features a long hanging crest on the back of the head, bluish-black dorsally and whitish underneath. The chest features oblong black spots (see Identification for a more detailed description).

Ardea cinerea jouyi Clark, 1907, Proceedings of the United States National Museum 32:468.—Seoul, Korea. (26 Clark, A. H. (1907). Eighteen new species and one new genus of birds from eastern Asia and the Aleutian Islands. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 32(1539):467–475. Close )

The holotype, a male, was collected by Pierre L. Jouy on 4 July 1883 and is housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., U.S. (USNM 114429).

Much of China (except northwest), Russian Far East, and Japan south to northern Myanmar, Indochina, Greater Sundas, and western Lesser Sundas. More widespread in nonbreeding season in Southeast Asia; also in the Philippines.

Very similar in appearance to the nominate subspecies. Clark (26 Clark, A. H. (1907). Eighteen new species and one new genus of birds from eastern Asia and the Aleutian Islands. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 32(1539):467–475. Close ) describes A. c. jouyi as differing from the nominate in having lighter dorsal plumage, particularly on the neck and the upper wing coverts (particularly the distal lesser, the median, and the greater), which he describes as almost ashy white. This is also a feature of the back plumes, according to Vaurie (27 Vaurie, C. (1965). The Birds of the Palearctic Fauna, Non Passeriformes. H. F. & G. Witherby, London, UK. Close ). The black shoulder patch is also reduced (see Macaulay Library images). The presence of sympatric populations of subspecies jouyi and the nominate form in parts of their range likely results in hybridization and subsequent introgression, which may contribute to the observed morphological similarities and the likelihood of intermediate forms.

Ardea cinerea firasa Hartert, 1917, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 38:6.—Antinosy Country, southwestern Madagascar. (28 Hartert, E. (1917). Ardea cinerea firasa, subsp. nov. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 38:6–7. Close )

The holotype, believed to be a female, was collected by James Last and is housed at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, U.S. (AMNH Skin-529016).

Insular population, restricted to the islands of Madagascar, Comoros, and Aldabra (28 Hartert, E. (1917). Ardea cinerea firasa, subsp. nov. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 38:6–7. Close ).

Hartert (28 Hartert, E. (1917). Ardea cinerea firasa, subsp. nov. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 38:6–7. Close ) describes subspecies A. c. firasa as similar to the nominate but with a thicker, longer bill and considerably longer legs, which could be an adaptation to its distribution in coastal and mangrove habitats. These environments are characterized by dense vegetation and, at times, deeper water, where longer legs would facilitate wading. Compared to the nominate, subspecies firasa also typically has brighter bare-parts coloration during courtship (24 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Ardea cinerea monicae Jouanin and Roux, 1963, L'Oiseau et la Revue Française d'Ornithologie (n.s.) 33:104.—Isle Ariel, Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania. (29 Jouanin, C., and F. Roux (1963). Une race nouvelle de heron cendre Ardea cinerea monicae. L'Oiseau et la Revue Française d'Ornithologie (n.s.) 33:103–106. Close )

The holotype, designated as a breeding adult (sex unknown), was collected by Jean Dragesco on 20 June 1960 and is housed at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturell, Paris, France (MNHN C.G. 1961 no. 4).

Islands off Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania.

According to Jouanin and Roux (29 Jouanin, C., and F. Roux (1963). Une race nouvelle de heron cendre Ardea cinerea monicae. L'Oiseau et la Revue Française d'Ornithologie (n.s.) 33:103–106. Close ), A. c. monicae—which they note more closely resembles the subspecies A. c. jouyi than the nominate, and which they therefore used for comparison—is distinguished by its smaller size, shorter bill and legs, and notably paler plumage. It features a pure white head and neck with minimal black throat markings, pale ash-gray upperparts, and wing coverts that transition from gray to pure white, all indicative of a general depigmentation trend. The smaller size and reduction in leg length may represent an adaptation to its habitat, which is dominated by shallow tidal flats, sandbanks, and mudflats, where its diminutive form would be advantageous.