Skip to main content

Great Blue Heron Identification

Looking for ID Help?

Our free app offers quick ID help with global coverage.

Try Merlin Bird ID

The Four Keys to ID

  • Size & Shape

    Largest of the North American herons with long legs, a sinuous neck, and thick, daggerlike bill. Head, chest, and wing plumes give a shaggy appearance. In flight, the Great Blue Heron curls its neck into a tight “S” shape; its wings are broad and rounded and its legs trail well beyond the tail.

    Relative Size

    Taller and much heavier than a Great Egret; smaller and much less bulky than a Sandhill Crane.

    Relative Sizegoose or largergoose-sized or larger

    Measurements
    • Both Sexes
      • Length: 38.2-53.9 in (97-137 cm)
      • Weight: 74.1-88.2 oz (2100-2500 g)
      • Wingspan: 65.8-79.1 in (167-201 cm)

Regional Differences

An all-white subspecies, the Great White Heron, is found in coastal areas of southern Florida, along with individuals that are intermediate in plumage (showing a grayish body with a mostly white head and neck), known as “Würdemann’s Heron.”