Meadow & Feather

Birds › Lake and wetland › Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Special feathers on its chest crumble into a fine powder that the heron uses like a washcloth to clean fish slime off its plumage.

Where to see it for real: Visits garden ponds for fish; a net over a small pond keeps your goldfish safe.

Spot it in the game

Lives in the Lake and wetland habitat (North American lakes and marshes).

Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0, via iNaturalist. Cut out from the original photo.

Great Blue Heron facts

Family
Herons and egrets
Length
45 in (115 cm)
Wingspan
71 in (180 cm)
Weight
5.3 lb (2.4 kg)
Diet
Fish, plus frogs, snakes, mice and sometimes small birds.
Range
Across North America, Central America, the Caribbean and the Galapagos.
Nest
A platform of sticks high in a tree, in a colony.
Song
A deep, harsh croak when disturbed.
Active
at dawn, by day, at dusk and at night
Status
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: widespread and not at risk.

What the Great Blue Heron sounds like

Recording 1: Doug Hynes, CC BY-SA 4.0, original on xeno-canto. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.
Recording 2: Aimee Lusty, CC BY 4.0, original on iNaturalist. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.

More: bird songs and calls, birds at night.

More birds of the lake and wetland

Great EgretGreat EgretLake and wetlandGreen HeronGreen HeronLake and wetlandBelted KingfisherBelted KingfisherLake and wetlandWood DuckWood DuckLake and wetlandMallardMallardLake and wetlandCanada GooseCanada GooseLake and wetland

Spot the Great Blue Heron yourself

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