The Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron, being the largest heron in all of North America, stands at about 4 feet tall with a wingspan of around 6 feet. Besides its extreme size, this wading bird can be recognized by blue-gray feathers coating its entire body, along with black flight feathers, brown legs, gray neck, and white face. This heron is frequently confused with the Great Egret, Reddish Egret, and Little Blue Heron, but is distinguished by its larger size. Most frequently heard during its mating season, the call of the Great Blue Heron is a harsh croak.

Found throughout most of North America, the Great Blue Heron can be sighted within an expansive range. Sightings of this blue-gray bird have taken place as far north as Alaska and Nova Scotia while also taking place as far south as Florida and Mexico. The birds found in the northern part of the range migrate to warmer locations such as Central or South America. Those found in the southern part of the range live there year round. One can also view an illustration of the Great Blue Heron in John James Audubon’s Bird’s of America.

As the Great Blue Heron is found in a broad geographic range, it is also found in many different habitats. This bird has been spotted in locations such as fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges, and shorelines. Some sort of body of water is always necessary for this heron as its diet is composed mainly of organisms found in water. The Great Blue Heron’s diet primarily consists of small fish. In addition, the bird often consumes shrimps, crabs, aquatic insects, rodents, other small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and small birds. When feeding, generally during the dawn and dusk, the heron locates its prey by sight and then swallows it whole. In some instances, the heron spears its prey before swallowing it. Because the Great Blue Heron is much larger than its relatives, the bird is able to acquire food in deeper waters that is not available to the others. In their nests, both parent birds feed their young by regurgitating food, after consuming up to four times their usual meal.

The Great Blue Heron breeds in colonies in trees close to lakes or other wetlands, often with other species of herons. These colonies usually consist of between 5 to 500 nests each. Great Blue Herons generally build bulky, sticky nests in which they will lay between three and six pale blue eggs each year. These eggs are incubated for approximately 28 days and hatch intermittently over a period of several days. Turkey vultures, hawks, bears, and raccoons are all predators of these eggs. The few natural predators of adult Great Blue Herons are bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, great horned owls, raccoons, and bears.

Tasks of the Great Blue Heron, such as reproduction, feeding, or even simple living, are negatively affected as of a result of human interference. For example, human intrusion into heron nests often causes abandonment of the eggs or offspring. To promote and protect the well-being of this species, it is necessary for humans to not only avoid disturbing bird nests but to also refrain from polluting the environment. In brief, Green Cay invites you to visit and check out our beautiful Great Blue Herons.

by Suzanne Lippman