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Herons in flight

on 1st March 2007

It is a joy to witness herons taking flight. As the birds take off, they bend their legs as if crouching, then jump up into the air. As they do so, they open their large wings and begin flapping until they reach their flight level. The image on the right shows a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) taking flight.

Flight is slow, not agile, but strong. Wings are flapped to maintain altitude. In flight, they take a characteristic silhouette. The wings are fully outstretched, legs and feet extended straight back, and the neck is completely retracted so that it rests fully on the bird’s back.

The two images of Little Heron (Butorides striatus) (below left) and Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) (below right) illustrate this beautifully.

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Such flights can carry the birds long distances when migrating or during their daily flights to and from feeding, breeding or roosting sites.

As the birds prepare to land, they begin to glide, gradually losing altitude. Just before landing they extend their necks, drop their legs, adopt a more vertical body alignment and then begin to flap. This acts as a brake against their forward movement, to allow them to gently land.

Generally, larger species beat their wings at a slower rate than smaller species.

Herons are very capable of landing on water and taking off again immediately.

Images of Grey Heron by Heng Fook Hai, Little and Purple Herons by Allan Teo.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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