י39) אנפה אפורה
Grey Heron
Grey Heron
Grey Heron










Ardea cinerea
Ardea cinerea
Ardea cinerea



:אנפה אפורה
, המצויה ביותר בין האנפות הגדולות. צבעה אפור, בעלת ראש וצואר לבנים
. וציצית שחורה לראשה
. מקננת על עצים, ולעיתים על צוקים ובחורשות קנים וסוף
. תרה אחר מזונה במים רדודים, במקוי מים מתוקים, חופי ים וביצות
. בישראל חורפת ועוברת אורח מצויה, מקננת נדירה
. בתטולה 3-5 ביצים ירקרקות-כחולות
. ...האנפה למינה....נזכרת בין העופות הטמאים בספר ויקרא י"א 19
Subspecies and Distribution.

A. c. cinerea Palearctic Africa, India and Sri Lanka.
A. c. jouyi Japan to Burma and Java. A. c. firasa Madagascar. A. c. monicae Is. of Mauritania.
Descriptive notes.
95 cm; 1,5 kg, wingspan 185 cm. Forehead and crown wite.
Non-breeding adult has bill and legs brownish yellow, lacks long plumes of breast and scapulars. Juvenile more uniform grey with duller bare parts.
Races separated on size and tone of plumage on neck, back and wings.
Habitat.
Any kind of shallow water, fresh, salt or brackish, standing or flowing. Usualy prefers areas with some trees, but can occupy very open areas. Equally at home inland where frequents rivers, marshes, lakes, rice fields irrigated areas and open grassland.
Food and Feeding
Mainly fish but diet varies with habitat and siason. Except fish, takes amphibians, crabs, molluscs, crustaceans, snakes small rodents and some birds.
Adults require 350-500 gr daily.
Breeding.
Jan-May in Palearctic, more variable in tropics, mainly during rains in Africa, Jul-Oct in India.
Breding normally colonial, nest is stick platform 50 cm wide, usually sited high in tall trees, also on ground or cliff ledges, in reedbeds or bushes.
1-10 eggs, incubation 25-26 days fledging 50 days the chicks remain at nest 10-20 days more.
Movements.
Populations of extreme N migratory, further S tend to be sedentary or dispersive. Populations of Iberian Peninsula, Britain and Ireland are sedentary, but the others E to Siberia mainly migratory.
Birds of Far East megrate to S China, populations of Africa, India and SE Asia sedentary.
Birds commute 2-40 km between colony and feeding territories.
Status and Conservation.
Not globally threatend. Now common and expanding in Europe, estimate of 50,000 pairs.
Israel. Subspecies in Israel A. c. cinerea.. In Israel very wides spread passage migrant and winter visitor.

A. c. cinerea
(in Israel)

A. c. monicae

A. c. jouyi

A. c. cinerea

HOME NEXT