Great Blue Heron

The great blue heron is a large wading bird found throughout much of North America and parts of Central America, common along the shores of lakes, rivers, marshes and coastlines, where it hunts by standing motionless or wading slowly before striking at fish, frogs and other small animals with a rapid thrust of its long, dagger-like bill. It has bluish-grey plumage, a long S-curved neck usually held tucked in flight, long legs and a black plume trailing from the back of the head in breeding adults. Great blue herons typically nest in large colonies called rookeries, building bulky stick nests high in trees near water, often alongside other heron and egret species. Adaptable and widespread, the species is a familiar sight across a broad range of wetland habitats and remains common despite historical declines from hunting for its feathers in the 19th and early 20th centuries.