Great Blue Heron Pictures

Few species of birds are as tall, elegant, and attractive as the great blue heron. So we’ve compiled some of the best great blue heron pictures for you to admire and help you to learn more about this amazing bird!

Great Blue Heron Head

The head of the great blue heron is quite unique. It has a long dagger-like beak that is used to catch fish and other prey. The beak, while typically yellow transforms temporarily to orange at the beginning of heron mating season. The face is almost all white with a set of distinct blue or slate-colored plumes (one on each side) that start above the eyes and end at the back of the head.

Juvenile Great Blue Heron

Although they may be both large and tall young herons look quite different from adults in terms of color. They can best be described as bluish-gray often with brown feathers around the body. Juveniles also typically have a dullish black or gray crown and no plumes. Their neck usually has dark streaks, the beak is a dark-hued yellowish gray, and they have a pale belly.

Great Blue Heron In Flight

While in some areas seeing a heron in flight is a common occurrence it can be difficult to tell them apart from similar-looking birds in the air. While they are large with wide wingspans and long legs so are several other birds that look like herons. A simple way to distinguish them from birds like storks and cranes is that while they fly with their necks extended, herons always fly with their S-shaped neck pulled back.

Great Blue Heron Wingspan

As you might be able to guess just from looking at one of these tall birds, they have a very large wingspan. In fact, the wingspan of an adult can reach six and a half feet wide. It’s not the largest wingspan in the world, that title is shared by both the Andean condor and marabou stork. However, if you take into consideration that the average height of a man is under six feet tall it puts it into perspective.

Great Blue Heron Eating

The great blue heron is an opportunistic predator. While their diet consists mainly of fish, herons eat a wide range of prey. This includes everything from snakes, rats, and frogs to ducklings and even occasionally adult ducks. Herons swallow their prey whole so they typically position it so that it will go down their throat head-first. This helps to prevent injury from things like spines and claws.

White Phase Great Blue Heron

There is actually an all-white color phase great blue heron. It is not considered a sub-species but instead a color morph. Known as the great white heron, it has a slightly larger build, yellow beak, and all-white plumage. A key to identifying it from other all-white birds that look similar are its dull yellow legs. The great white heron has a much more limited range than the standard-colored great blue heron.

The Elegant Heron

The heron is considered to have a very elegant appearance. Its long legs, curved neck, and striking colors are all part of its visual appeal. And don’t forget the distinct plume on its head. Because of its looks, it’s often the subject of nature photos like with the great blue heron pictures in this article but also in works of fine art. Heron statues are commonly used to portray the natural beauty of this bird in outdoor spaces as well.

Great Blue Heron Habitat

A wide-ranging species, the great blue heron can be found in both fresh and saltwater habitats. Streams, rivers, creeks, swamps, lakes, and ponds are all suitable places for herons to find food. But so are saltwater marshes, shorelines, and even open fields and grasslands. Typically herons will nest within several miles of these feeding areas.

Great Blue Heron In Pond

The great blue heron’s diet consists mainly of fish. This can often cause problems for pond owners. When a heron sees slow and brightly colored fish in a backyard or garden pond it takes it as an opportunity for an easy meal.

And for a master predator like the heron, it is. For this reason, pond owners will often use a decoy, netting, or other heron deterrents to help keep hungry birds away from expensive ornamental fish that could end up as sushi.

Great Blue Heron Nest Building    

Herons normally build their nests in trees. They do this in large nesting colonies that often have several hundred other birds. Nest construction can take several days to several weeks. While the male collects and brings large sticks to the nesting site, the female builds the actual nest. When the nest and breeding are complete the female will lay two six pale blue eggs.

Cautious Great Blue Heron

The great blue heron is a cautious bird. It prefers to land in spaces where there is a clear field of view so that it can see any potential predators at a distance. In fact, it will often land somewhere nearby first like in a tall tree so that it can observe the entire area from above.

Because other birds know the heron is so wary, hunters will often use a heron decoy when duck hunting to help give nervous ducks the confidence to land.

Great Blue Heron Hunting

The great blue heron has several methods for hunting its prey. One of the most common is wading through shallow water carefully scanning for fish or small animals. Another method is standing completely still and waiting for prey to come within striking distance.

While the great blue heron sometimes grabs the prey with its beak it also uses its beak to impale prey items as well. Although it does hunt at other times it usually hunts for food around dawn and dusk.

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