The Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron stands four feet tall and has a wingspan of more than six feet. Its plumage is blue-gray with black flight feathers. Its face is nearly white and it has a pair of black plumes running from the just above the eye to the back of its head. It has a long, pointed yellow beak. The feathers on its base of its neck are long and ruffled. During breeding season ruffled plumes appear on its back. Its beak and legs take on an orange hue as well.

The immature bird is duller in color. It has a blackish-gray crown and no plumes. The bill and legs are a dull gray-yellow.

The Great White Heron was thought to be another species but has since been reclassified as a white variation of the Great Blue Heron.

The Great Blue Heron can be found throughout most of North America, including Alaska and Canada. Its range extends south through Central America and into South America. It is a wader and can be found in habitats that allow for that, fresh and saltwater marshes, swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges and shorelines. They usually nest in trees or bushes close to the water's edge.

The Great Blue Heron nest in a colony comprised of a variety of different waders. The rookery as it is called can hold up to 500 nests but average around 160 mated pairs. The colony is situated in trees close to a lake or other wetlands.

The nest is built with sticks and is big and bulky. The female lays 3 to 6 pale blue eggs that are incubated for approximately 28 days. The chicks hatch over several days. The chicks are feed regurgitated food by both the male and the female. At around 60 days old the young fledge, but they return to the nest and are fed by the adults for another couple of weeks.

Pair bonds last throughout the breeding season but part once the fledglings leave the nest. New pair bonds will be formed the following breeding season.

When it comes to diet, the Great Blue Heron is highly adaptable. They prefer fish, but will eat reptiles, invertebrates, small mammals, even other birds. They will fish for food both day and night. It will stand in the water, watch and wait. Once the fish moves into striking range, it grabs it.

In some of the northern climes, the Great Blue Heron will hunt on land as well. Voles and mice make up a large part of its diet in the winter.

The Great Blue Heron's call is a harsh croak. They are vocal during breeding season, but largely silent the rest of the time. However, they are vocal when disturbed or if there are territorial disputes.

Great Blue Heron: Sound Byte

Birds in the northern part of their range will migrate to Central America or the northern part of South America, but Great Blue Herons residing in temperate climate are frequently year-round residents.

The white form of the Great Blue Heron, known as the Great White Heron, is usually found in shallow salt water marshes along the coast of southern Florida.

Great Blue Herons are opportunistic feeders. They often congregate near fish hatcheries which creates problems for the fish farmers. The Great Blue is a large bird and can eat a lot of fish.

Unlike many of its smaller brethren, the Great Blue Heron population is thriving.