Species of the Week: Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron or Ardea herodias is a wading bird that is commonly found in the shallow water of coastlines, shores, and wetlands. They are carnivorous birds, eating mainly small fish. Great blue herons are big birds standing at about 3-4.5 feet with a wingspan of about 5.5-6.5 feet. In flight the birds can move pretty fast, cruising at around 20-30 miles per hour. They are partial migrants, moving away from the northern edge of their range, in Northern US/Southern Canada, in the colder months, but they can be found throughout most of North America year round. They make their nests primarily in trees but do sometimes nest on the ground in bushes and mangroves. Males locate and create nesting sites and then attempt to court females from their nests. Colonies of Great blue herons can consist of hundreds of pairs of individuals, however, individuals hunt alone. The great blue heron is relatively easy to identify because of its size and greyish blue feathers. It has a black crown and head plumes and a long orange-yellow bill, making them further distinct from others. If you’re looking for this bird around campus it can often be found in the Massell Pond!

Posted on April 5, 2019 06:33 PM by lissasc