Nests of the gray geron have appeared in Velyky Berezny district

A colony of gray herons has been found in the Kostryno forestry. The Gray Heron is one of our most famous aquatic birds. It is common in temperate climates of Europe (except Portugal) and Asia (Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Iran, India). It winters in the Balkans, Asia Minor and Africa. In Ukraine, it nests sporadically throughout the country, except the Carpathians and most of the Crimea. It winters in the Transcarpathian plains, in the Danube region and in Crimea. During migration, it can be found everywhere. The gray heron lives on bodies of water, covered with reeds, in the forests in floodplains, or near bodies of water.

This finding is extremely interesting, because usually gray heron does not nest at such altitude. The bird prefers shallow open place where it can stand still for a long time (often on one leg) and wait for the prey to come closer.

The gray heron feeds on invertebrates and small vertebrates (gophers, voles, mice, shrews, lizards, serpents, amphibians, fish, beetles and their larvae). Usually, it is a silent bird, but during the nesting it becomes very noisy. The gray heron is a migratory bird. They fly at night alone or in small groups.    
The species is listed in the Berne Convention. Employees of the Research Department of Uzhok National Park together with foresters plan to conduct continuous monitoring.