Grey Heron action plan

Aims
1. To conserve London's grey heron population by protecting existing and newly established heronries, roosting and foraging habitat.
2. To raise awareness of grey herons, their requirements and their value as an indicator of healthy rivers and water bodies.



Grey herons (Ardea cinerea) are easily recognised and appreciated by most Londoners and capture public imagination. However, despite their characteristic dark wings and black crest they are often mistakenly known as 'stork' or 'crane'.

Herons are at the top of the food chain in freshwater habitats and their presence can indicate a healthy freshwater environment. Huge improvements in the water quality of the River Thames and its tributaries have provided a plentiful food source for herons, allowing them to increase and spread. London is a heron hotspot and in 1985 contributed about 1% of the United Kingdom population.

Grey herons breed colonially, usually at the tops of tall trees on islands that offer some degree of protection from disturbance. All London's heronries are in such locations, with the exception of Lonsdale Road Reservoir where they nest on tern rafts.

Contact
The Lead for this species is Wandsworth Borough Council.
Valerie Selby
Principal Parks Officer (Biodiversity)
Wandsworth Borough Council
Ecology Office, Battersea Park,
London SW11 4NJ

Email: [email protected]