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GREAT BLUE HERON
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ardea herodias

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BEHAVIOR

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As the largest heron species in North America, great blue herons are primarily solitary & territorial while foraging, using prolonged ambush tactics & slow stalking in shallow water. They form colonial heronries seasonally where pairs raise chicks in the same area.

DIET

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Great blue herons are predominantly piscivorous but opportunistic hunters; amphibians, crustaceans, aquatic invertebrates, reptiles, small mammals, & occasionally birds are all a part of their diet. Prey is captured by rapid bill-spearing & swallowed whole.

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HABITAT

Great blue herons are highly adaptable as they live in freshwater & coastal wetland environments such as: marshes, ponds, lake & river margins, estuaries, & tidal flats; foraging in shallow littoral zones & typically nesting in trees & tall shrubs located near water.

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STATS
ESTIMATED MASS:  3.6 kg
WINGSPAN: 201 cm
TEMPORAL RANGE: Extant
SPAWN LOCATION: Creeks & Wetlands

 

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