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CT and Anatomical Sections Produced the First Integrated Map of the Grey Heron Nasal Cavity

Close-up profile of a wild grey heron head
Research · Anatomy & morphology

A 2026 study produced the first integrated anatomical and CT-based reference for the nasal cavity of the grey heron (Ardea cinerea). Researchers examined three juvenile cadavers from a wildlife rehabilitation centre after death or euthanasia for reasons unrelated to the head or respiratory system.

CT images were matched directly to the physical anatomy

Each head was scanned with computed tomography (CT) before being cut into corresponding transverse anatomical sections. This let the researchers compare structures on the images directly with the same structures in the tissue.

The CT scans clearly showed the rostral, middle and caudal nasal conchae. These conchae are curved internal folds that divide and shape the air passages inside the nasal cavity. The scans also showed the nasal septum and its sinus, the infraorbital sinus beneath and around the eye region, including its rostral diverticulum, and an elongated choanal cleft connecting the nasal region with the mouth.

The anatomical sections clarified how the conchae, air passages and surrounding bones fit together and confirmed that the grey heron has a small, poorly developed nasal gland. Three-dimensional reconstructions added another view of the spatial arrangement of the nasal cavity and neighbouring skull structures.

The study provides a diagnostic reference, not a functional test

The authors describe the work as the first comprehensive reference that combines gross anatomy with CT imaging for the grey heron nasal cavity. Because nasal anatomy differs substantially among bird groups, species-specific references can help veterinarians distinguish normal structures from disease on diagnostic images, especially in the sinuses and tissues around the eye.

The study did not test airflow, smell or respiratory performance, so the anatomical differences should not be read as direct evidence for a particular nasal function. The reference is also based on only three juvenile birds. The authors therefore call for larger samples and morphometric measurements before quantitative normal ranges can be established for the species.

Sources and image credit

  1. Roldán-Medina, N., Paz-Oliva, P., Ros, Á., Melián, C., Pérez, E., Morales-Espino, A., Morales, M., Suárez-Cabrera, F., & Jaber, J. R. (2026). Cadaveric study of the juvenile grey heron's (Ardea cinerea) nasal cavity and associated structures through computed tomography and anatomical sections. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 12(4), e70953. https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70953Primary peer-reviewed study first published online 28 May 2026. Three juvenile grey heron cadavers were examined using CT and corresponding anatomical cross-sections, establishing the first integrated anatomical and CT reference for the species' nasal cavity and associated structures.

Image: Alexis Lours / Wikimedia Commons — wild grey heron photographed in Parc Georges-Valbon, France, 6 March 2022; Commons Quality Image and representative head portrait, not one of the study specimens · CC BY 4.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

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