Great Blue Heron

THIS BEAUTIFUL AND STOIC MIGRATORY BIRD CAN BE FOUND YEAR ROUND IN FLORIDA'S WARMER CLIMATE ZONE

To learn a bit more about these birds, never hesitate to look them up on Cornell’s website at AllAboutBirds.org, which is a fabulous digital resource. There are many books that can also help guide you to your mystery bird and apps for your mobile devices, too. For more information, contact BrianNativeBirdBoxes.com. Follow along on @NativeBirdBoxes.

One of our largest herons of North America is the Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias. It is of the Ardeidea family, which represents Herons, Bitterns and Egrets. So, there is a pattern of these long-legged, long-necked, sharp billed birds that seem to stalk lakesides, marsh areas, creeks and rivers seeking their next meal. These birds are quite stoic in appearance with their primary color being grey, but remember, its name is the Great Blue Heron. This bird is one that seems to be quite diverse being observed from Alaska through Mexico and can even be found in Central America and the Galapagos Islands. Many similar birds are of the same family of the Great Blue Heron.

Being able to identify this bird is easy for us in North America, as it is our largest heron. The bill will always be yellowish in color on the lower portion, with the upper bill being a dark grayish to black in color. It’s long legs and tall stature is remarkable to think about. As a juvenile, by the time they leave the nest, they are about the same size as their parents. The only difference is that juveniles are pale in color throughout, and they lack the bulky muscles that can be seen on its parents. The most beautiful thing about this bird is its colors. Yes, their primary color is blueish

The Great Blue Heron can be found all throughout North America. However, in warmer zones, it has adapted and lives year-round and in other zones where heavy winters occur, this bird is migratory. During nesting season, this bird builds nests on rookies or in trees, often overhanging water. The reason for their above-water nesting sounds kind of crazy, but it is an intuitive skill knowing if they can defecate in water, they can help reduce the potential attack by a predator that can climb trees. Their young typically consists of anywhere from 2-7 eggs. Both parents will take turns incubating and caring for the young as they grow. Baby steps consist of walking all around their nest site, back and forth down branches, and slowly learning to fly branch to branch. Full fledgling occurs when the bird flies from the nest site to a completely unfamiliar tree or land area nearby, where it will learn how to walk and stalk their food resource. Many lake or river systems with greater amounts of aquatic plant life provides a perfect location for the Great Blue Heron to wade and stalk, looking for their next meal, typically consisting of fish, snakes, and smaller mammals.

Written and photography by Brian Beckner