Great blue herons are most often seen wading silently in shallow water. (Mike Baird/Flickr)
The great blue heron is a tall, bluish-gray wading bird with a long, pointed bill and a graceful, S-shaped neck. It lives year-round in marshes and wetlands throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
Appearance:
Bluish-gray body
White head with long, black, feathery plumes
Long, gray or brownish neck, often held in a graceful S-shape
Shaggy feathers on the neck and back
Underparts are streaked with black, brown and white
Yellow, spear-like bill
Long, chestnut legs
Grows to 4 feet tall with a wingspan of 6-7 feet
Habitat:
Lives in marshes and wetlands along the Bay and its creeks and rivers
Also found on freshwater lakes, ponds and impoundments
Most often seen wading silently in shallow water
Range:
Found year-round throughout the Chesapeake Bay region
Feeding:
Eats mostly fish, but will also feed on insects, amphibians, crustaceans and other small animals
Silently stalks its prey in shallow waters, then plunges its bill into the water to capture it
Spends about 90 percent of its waking hours hunting for food
Predators:
Crows and ravens eat heron eggs
Hawks, bears, eagles, raccoons and turkey vultures have been known to prey on young and adult herons
Flight:
Flies with slow, deep wingbeats
Holds its neck in a graceful S-shape when flying
Voice:
Makes 3-4 hoarse croaks when alarmed
Great Blue Heron courtesy of Pamela C. Rasmussen, Avian Vocalizations Center
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Nests and breeds in colonies (called rookeries) with other herons. Breeding colonies are located in isolated areas such as wooded swamps and small islands, where human and predator access is limited.
May begin breeding as early as February. New breeders continue to arrive at the colonies well into May.
The male builds a nest of sticks and twigs high in the canopy of a tree
Females lay 3-7 eggs from mid-March to mid-June
Both parents incubate the eggs for about 28 days. The peak of hatching takes place from mid-April to mid-July.
Although they may have several eggs, the parents usually only raise one or two young; the others starve after hatching.
The young fledge after about 60 days
Usually lives for approximately 15 years
Other Facts:
The largest heron in North America
Herons have been known to choke to death while trying to swallow prey that is too large
