Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron was one of the many species originally described by Carolus Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae.

The Great Blue Heron is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England. An all-white population found only in the Caribbean and south Florida was once known as a separate species, the Great White Heron. More

Great Blue Heron Range MapView dynamic map of eBird sightings Field MarksHelp - * AdultPopOutZoom In Adult * © Marie Read * JuvenilePopOutZoom In Juvenile * © Marie Read * Adult white morphPopOutZoom In Adult white morph More

The Great Blue Heron was one of the many species originally described by Carolus Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae. The Great Blue Heron is replaced in the Old World by the very similar Grey Heron, which differs in being somewhat smaller (90–98 cm), with a pale gray neck and legs, lacking the browner colors that Great Blue Heron has there. More

Photo: Great blue heron wading on long, thin legs Wading on its long, thin legs, a great blue heron scouts for prey. Photograph courtesy U.S. More

The great blue heron is an interesting bird. This heron is the largest heron or egret in North America and the biggest bird in most swampy areas. It is a member of the Ardeidae family as are all other herons. The great blue heron lives many places on Earth. During the winter, it mainly lives where it breeds. The great blue heron's population is large and stable. The great blue heron is only one of its kind. More

The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in Canada. More

Great Blue HeronThe great blue heron is the largest heron in North America. It stands three to four feet tall and has a wingspan of almost six feet. It has blue-gray feathers on most of its body and a plume of feathers on its chest and back. It has a long, pointed yellow bill and long legs. Adults have white on the top of their heads and long black plumes above their eyes. More

Cool fact:A distinct population of Great Blue Herons breeds on the mangrove islands off the Florida Coast. These Great White Herons are pure white, with greenish-yellow legs and yellow bill. Formerly, the Great White Heron was considered a separate species because of its color, slightly larger size, and restricted saltwater habitat; however it is now considered a color form of the Great Blue Heron. An intermediate type with the body coloration of a typical Great Blue Heron, but with an all-white head, is known as Wurdemann's Heron. More

North American RangeThe familiar Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America. It is a large bird, with a slate-gray body, chestnut and black accents, and very long legs and neck. In flight, it looks enormous, with a six-foot wingspan. Adults sport a shaggy ruff at the base of their necks. A black eyebrow extends back to black plumes emerging from the head. Juveniles have a dark crown with no plumes or ruff, and a mottled neck. More

The Great Blue Heron’s range is located throughout Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America, and many territories in North America. These include Alaska, British Columbia, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. They prefer to live near bodies of water, both fresh and salt varieties. This species is commonly found among marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded meadows, edges of lakes and shorelines. Nesting takes place in tress and bushes near these sources of water. More

The stately great blue heron is the largest, most widely distributed of American herons. Whether flying majestically overhead or standing motionless at the water's edge on a still, misty morning awaiting an unsuspecting fish, the great blue heron embodies grace and elegance. The great blue heron is easily distinguished from other members of the heron family. It is a four-foot tall wading bird with a dark gray body, brown neck, chestnut thighs, and white crown, cheeks, and throat. More

The Great Blue Heron is the largest of the North American herons, dwarfing other herons as well as its closest relatives, the egrets and bitterns. It is a wader and is often seen standing in or around water. Great Blue Heron by James Harris. Art Poster Print Description - The Great Blue Heron stands four feet tall and has a wingspan of more than six feet. More

The great blue heron, or "blue crane" as it is often called, is the largest, the most widely distributed and the best known of the American herons. Herons probably originated in the warmer climates, where they are certainly better represented in species and in numbers; but this species extends its range across the continent and well up into the cooler climate of Canada. It is a stately bird, dignified in its bearing, graceful in its movements and an artistic feature in the landscape. More

Great blue heron in water. Photo by Kim A. Cabrera 2002. Tracks show three toes facing forward and one facing back. The large hind toe enables them to stand on one leg for long periods of time. They nest in colonies in wetlands where vegetation provides safety for the nesting site. Nests are three feet across and built in trees. They are maintained year after year. Herons will make 30-mile round trips to feeding areas. More

Great Blue Heron uses a wide variety of strategies for hunting food, partially because this heron is found in a wider range of habitats across more of North America than any other heron. Herons also wade or stalk prey in saltwater marshes, beaches and uplands. More

Great Blue Heron photo: Klamath Basin RefugeThe purpose of this study was to determine whether Great Blue Herons would serve as a good monitoring species for contaminants in piscivorous (fish eating) birds from the Columbia and Willamette basins. To be a good indicator species they should have a wide distribution, high food-chain status, nest fidelity, and low sensitivity to contaminants. Great Blue Herons on the lower Columbia and Willamette Rivers meet all four criteria. More

I installed a Great Blue Heron decoy on the edge of my pond when I first st... kathylynndean — 1 avril 2009 — Please watch; this is pretty funny. I installed a Great Blue Heron decoy on the edge of my pond when I first stocked it with goldfish. This shows what a wonderful job the decoy does in scaring away herons. NOT! I share all of my goldfish (I am not stupid enough to have Koi) with Herons, Kingfisher's and Osprey. More

Great Blue Heron flying over the pond at Rust Sanctuary Loudoun County is home to a great diversity of bird species, from small beautiful songbirds to large and striking raptors, but one of our more majestic and easily identifiable permanent residents is the Great Blue Heron. Just about everyone has a memory of seeing one of these elegant birds poised over a pond or wetland in the early morning, motionless and hunting for a meal. It is always a thrill to see them. More

“The Great Blue Heron,” said George Gladden in the 1936 edition of Birds of America, “is the largest of the truly American herons, and is known as a stately, dignified, and interesting bird by those who have observed it in other ways than over the sights of a shotgun or rifle. More

The Great Blue Heron is a large, graceful, dark gray bird having a white crown, cheeks and throat. It has a length between 97-137cm and a wingspan that can span 5 feet in length. They have a beautiful black stripe on the side of their crown that merges into a long occipital crest. The neck is gray with a violaceous tinge in the back and sides, and is striped black and white underneath. The back is blue-gray, the sides blackish, and the belly gray and white striped. More

The great blue heron is an opportunistic predator eating small fish, shellfish, insects, reptiles and amphibians and even mall mammals and birds. Kiwanis Heroncam nest viewUpdates Late March 2010 Many of the herons are sitting on eggs and we hope you enjoy the many camera views. Our heron research cam may move for one nest to the next as our biologist study heron nesting and particularly view nest disturbance and nest flushing caused by bald eagles and other disturbances. More

Great blue herons are the largest herons that can be found in North America. When standing, they can be approximately 60 centimeters tall. They also have a wingspan that ranges from about 97 to 137 centimeters, and can weight from 2.1 to 2.5 kilograms. As far as the other physical features are concerned, Great blue herons have short tails, long necks, legs, and wings, as well as a long bill that tapers to a point at the end. More

Great blue herons nest colonially, meaning that they nest in groups. The correct term for a heron colony is a heronry (many people say "rookery" but that term refers to colonies of other animals, not herons). Some heronries are enormous, with well over 400 nests. More

Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve is a 130-hectare site (325 acre) located on the un-dyked floodplain of the Vedder River. Managed by the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve Society, the site is known for the breeding colony of Great Blue Herons as well as a wide variety of wildlife and vegetation. More

vues Cathlapootl — 11 mai 2008 — A Great Blue Heron sits high in a Douglas Fir preening. Lechtenberg Park, Clark County, Washington Cathlapootl — 11 mai 2008 — A Great Blue Heron sits high in a Douglas Fir preening. More

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. More