The Great Blue Heron is the largest of the herons, a group of wading birds, and is widely distributed across North America. This bird can reach over one meter in height, with a wing span of up to two meters, but weighs only 2-3 kilograms1. This great bird can fly at up to 30 miles per hour, which is quite a sight to behold. They have long thin legs and a long neck, ideal for wading in shallow water to hunt. Their wings and back are covered in blue-grey feathers, from which they get their name. Their long, sharp beak is yellow. One distinctive feature is their black “eye brow” feather above each eye. While breeding, this plumage lengthens on the males, giving them the appearance of a hairy chest2. Males and females have the same physical characteristics, but males are usually slightly larger. Courtship displays are elaborate, involving circular flights, bill snapping, mating calls, neck extensions and even bill duelling! This leads to pair bonding, which is important for the new parents when they are raising their young3.
Source: http://fr.academic.ru/dic.nsf/frwiki/287696
In the wild, Great Blue Herons can live for up to 23 years. The Great Blue Heron can be confused with some species of crane, but can be differentiated because the heron holds its neck in an S-shape while flying and resting2.
The main food source of a Great Blue Heron is small fish, captured in shallow waters. Other less common food sources include a variety of shellfish, small frogs and snakes, large insects, and even small mammals such as mice or voles. Great Blue Herons may stab large fish with their beaks, but sometimes their eyes are bigger than their stomachs: birds have actually choked on fish that are too large2! They also may take advantage of fishing opportunities created by humans, such as focusing their hunting on a section of water where humans have thrown bread in for the fish to eat12. Their most common nesting sites are in swamps, but they will also nest near lakes or other bodies of water. Great Blue Herons are usually found in breeding colonies, with several breeding pairs in an area1. Nests are made from sticks and are preferentially built in trees. If trees are not available, the Great Blue Heron will build its nest on the ground4. These nests are huge – as wide as three feet! In April or May, eggs are laid and incubated for 27 days. Clutch sizes are between 3-5 eggs, and once hatched the babies learn to fly in about 2 months2.
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Source: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3hbzQz2jMXwEObpVWse8nA |
The Great Blue Heron has a very distinctive call, which some people think sounds like a person calling “Frank”. For this reason, the Great Blue Heron is sometimes called “Old Frankie”. They can also cluck, and may even make a sound resembling a cow mooing2! Click here to listen to the main call of the Great Blue Heron!
Habitat
The Great Blue Heron shows a preference for deciduous forest habitat. They like to live near large, low altitude lakes5. Shorelines are extremely important to a Great Blue Heron, since their main source of food is small fish. Unlike other birds with a similar diet, Great Blue Herons do not dive for their food. Instead, they wade into the water about 15-25 cm deep and ambushes their prey using their powerful beaks1. Because of this hunting mechanism, damage to shorelines and shallow lake waters can affect hunting behaviour and may contribute to Great Blue Heron decline. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has listed the Great Blue Heron as a species of special concern4.
To learn more about the Great Blue Heron, check out these great websites:
