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Quick Facts
- Type
- Bird
- Size
- 91–137 cm body length, 167–201 cm wingspan
- Weight
- 2.1–3.6 kg
- Habitat
- Coastal shores, rivers, lakes, and wetlands across North and Central America
- Diet
- Carnivore — fish, frogs, snakes, small mammals, and large insects
- Active Time
- Diurnal and crepuscular
- Lifespan
- 15–17 years in the wild
Field Notes
- A great blue heron can stand motionless for many minutes before striking at fish with one of the fastest bill-lunges of any wading bird.
- They nest in large colonial rookeries high in tall trees, with some sites hosting over 500 nesting pairs.
- Great blue herons have been recorded choking to death on prey too large to swallow — they sometimes attempt to eat fish nearly as large as themselves.
About the Great Blue Heron
The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America, standing nearly a metre tall with a wingspan approaching two metres. It is a patient ambush predator, standing motionless for minutes at a time before driving its spear-like bill into the water to seize fish with lightning speed. Despite its size, it flies with its neck folded in a tight S-curve, sometimes confusing observers. Great blue herons nest colonially in large treetop rookeries called heronries, where dozens or hundreds of pairs crowd together, returning to the same sites year after year.
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