Great Blue Heron Photo Gallery

Adult (Great Blue)

Very large and tall, with a long neck. Grayish-blue overall with long orangish-yellow bill and black crown and head plumes.

Immature (Great Blue)

Very large and tall, with a long neck. Grayish-blue overall with pale belly, dark streaking on the neck, and brownish feathers mixed throughout. Bill long and dusky colored.

Adults with Cattle Egret and White Ibis

Often nests in colonies with other species of wading birds. Within colonies, territorial display includes ruffling the long breeding plumes and pointing the head and bill skyward.

Adult (Great Blue)

In flight shows black flight feathers contrasting with powdery-blue plumage. Usually flights with neck in, but sometimes outstretched.

Adult (Great White)

Very large and tall, with a long neck. White form is all white with long yellow bill and dull yellowish legs.

Adult (Blue form)

Stalks prey by wading in shallow water, using daggerlike bill to spear or seize fish and other small animals.

Adult (Wurdemann's)

Very large and tall, with a long neck. Body powdery-blue with white head, and orangish-yellow bill and legs.

Adult (Great Blue)

When breeding has dense, shaggy plumes on the back and neck.

Adult (Blue form)

Heavy flight with very slow beats of the very broad wings. Usually flies with neck pulled back and head tucked into shoulders.

Adult (Great Blue)

Hunts in a variety of shallow wetland habitats.

Adult (Great Blue)

Nests in colonies of large stick nests high in trees, sometimes not near water.

Adult (Blue form)

Typically eats aquatic animals but also forages on land, catching mammals.