At Kayak Safari, you will have many adventures. Part of this experience is the chance to encounter the famous heron, Freddy Mercury!

Freddy is part of the Ardeidae family of birds. This species has a reputation of flying with their necks retracted rather than outstretched. Don’t make fun of him for it!

He has cousins in every continent, except Antartica. The only sort of environments that Freddy wouldn’t live in are the driest deserts, extremely high mountains and subzero temperatures in Antartica.

You will find Freddy near the water because that’s the heron’s favorite area to live in. Fun fact : herons are non-swimmers! It’s ironic  because they are often associated with water.

Like 90% of birds, the heron is monogamous, which means that he only mates with one female. Therefore, Freddy is loyal. New generation, take notes!

Herons are also colonial, which means they live among other herons. Even if Freddy seems to look lonely, he’s actually not : he has many friends.

One of the heron’s most interesting feature is his hunting abilities. He is carnivorous and has many aquatic prey, such as fish, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks and insects. Anything goes…except plants. Freddy, being an experienced hunter, uses many techniques. He usually just stays motionless in shallow waters, and waits for prey to come within range. As soon as he has an opportunity, he strikes with his pointy beak.

During your adventure, make sure to watch for the herons. There are many of them on the river, all led by Freddy! Seeing a heron is not an everyday occurrence, so if you do, take a quick picture!