Inland nesting of grey heron Ardea cinerea: An important record for Gujarat state, India
Rajni Trivedi and BM Parasharya
Total eight nests of the Grey Heron Ardea cinerea were recorded on Banyan trees (Ficus benghalensis) during August 2018 at Nanodara village of (Bavla tahsil) Ahmedabad district, Gujarat, India. This breeding record was considered as an important one in want of published records on inland wetlands in Gujarat.Nesting was done on large Banyan trees located at the edge of the village pond. One pair of Large Egret was associated in the heronry. On nearby Banyan trees, 100+ Flying Foxes (Pteropus gigantius) were roosting during day time. Its breeding records and respective breeding period in Gujarat is reviewed. Taxonomic status of the Grey Heron (both resident breeding and migratory populations) occurring in India is discussed at length. Published evidences suggest that the Grey Herons occurring in India are nominate subspecies Ardea cinerea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758.
Rajni Trivedi, BM Parasharya. Inland nesting of grey heron Ardea cinerea: An important record for Gujarat state, India. J Entomol Zool Stud 2019;7(2):621-624.