GreatBlueHeronHowcanagreatblueheronbedistinguishedfromotherbirds?
ThegreatblueheronisalargeiconicbirdoftheChesapeakeBaywatershed.Thebodyofthegreatblueheronislongandnarrowcoveredingrayishfeathers.Theyhavealonggrayishneckthatcanhelpidentifythemwhentheyareflying.Itsheadconsistsofalargeblack“eyebrow”,yellowtoredeyes,andaverylongbillwithatleastsomeyellowtoit.
Whatdogreatblueheronseat?
Thedietofthegreatblueheronconsistsmostlyoffish-anyspecieslargeenoughthatitcancatchandeat.Blueheronshavealsobeenknowntoeatamphibians,reptiles,invertebrates,smallmammals,andevensmallbirds.Theirdietisnotpickyandtheyeatbasicallyanythingthattheycanswallow.
Whatpredatorsdogreatblueheronshave?
Crowsandraccoonseatgreatblueheroneggs.Raccoons,hawks,eagles,andraccoonsoccasionallypreyonadultsandchicks.However,ingeneralgreatblueheronadultsarenotcommonlypreyedonduetotheirlargesizeandthelackofmanylargepredatorsinNorthAmerica.
Wheredogreatblueheronslive?
GreatblueheronsarefoundinmostofNorthandCentralAmerica.Theyarefoundinalmostallpartsofthelower48states,coastalCentralAmerica,northwestSouthAmerica,theGalapagos,andstretchingupthepacificcoastallthewaytosouthcentralAlaska.
Dogreatblueheronsmigrate?
Somegreatblueherons,dependinghowfarnorththeybreed,domigrate.HoweverthegreatblueheronsthatwehaveintheMid-Atlanticareyearroundresidentsofthearea.Thebirdsdohoweverleavetheirnestingsiteswhenbreedingisover,andtheymovebacktobeingindependentintheirnormalhabitats.
AtaGlance
ScientificName:Ardeaherodias
BodyLength:63inches
Wingspan:72inches
Weight:4-6lbs.
Avg.Lifespan:15years
Diet:mostlyfish,butwillalsoeatamphibians,reptiles,andinvertebrates
Habitat:swamps,marshes,rivers,lakes,almostanyplacewithfreshtobrackishwater
Reproduction:lays3-5paleblueeggsIncubationPeriod:25-29daysNestlingPeriod:60daysPopulationStatus:LeastConcern
Howdogreatblueheronraisetheiryoung?
Greatblueheronsselectnewmateseveryyear,laying2-7eggs.Theseeggsarethenincubatedapproximately28daysuntilhatching.Theyoungarethenfedforaround60daysinthenestbybothparents.Oncethechicksareabletoflytheyleavethenest,howevertheystillrelyontheirparentsforfoodforafewmoreweeksuntiltheycanproperlyhuntontheirown.
Aregreatblueheronendangered?
Thegreatblueheronislistedasleastconcernduetoitsgenerallylargerangeandlargepopulation.Thespeciesisalsohighlyadaptable,allowingittoeatadiverseamountoffood.Theonlymajorthreattoallblueheronsingeneralisnestdisturbance.InmanypartsoftheU.S.largeamountsofnoisenearanestingcolonycancausethebirdstoabandontheirnests.Alsotheincreaseofpredatorybirds,likebaldeagles,fromraptorintroductionprograms,leadstomoreharassmentandpreyingonchicks.Manygroupshavenowbeentryingtohelpgreatblueheronsbystoppingthedestructionoftheirhabitats,andattemptingtoestablishsafeandsecludednestinglocations.
Sources:http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/great_blue_heron#http://www.arkive.org/great-blue-heron/ardea-herodias/http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Ardea_herodias/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=heronhttp://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/great-blue-heron/
FunFacts
• Therearefiveconfirmedsubspeciesofgreatblueheron,theonethatwehavelocallyisArdeaherodiasherodias.
• GreatBlueheronsalmostalwaysswallowtheirpreywhole!• HeronisfromhaironinoldFrenchmeaninglongnecked,
longleggedwadingbird,butinmultipleotherlanguageitispossibleitcamefromtheword(s)tocryorshriek.Thisisreferringtoitscroakingcall.
• Althoughgreatblueheronshaveadifferentmateeveryyear,theyonlyhaveonemateunlikesomebirdswhobreedwithmultipleotherbirdseveryyear.
• ThegreatblueheronisthelargestheroninNorthAmerica.
Greatblueheroneggs
PhotobyIanPlant
