Where Do Great Blue Herons Nest?

While many of us have seen great blue herons their nesting habits often remain a mystery to most people. That’s because they purposely nest in hard-to-reach places. So where do great blue herons nest? Here’s the answer.

A Colony Nester

Typically great blue herons nest in trees and alongside other herons in large colonies. A colony of herons is known as a heronry but also as a rookery. And these colonies may contain anywhere from a handful of nests to about five hundred.

However, around one hundred and fifty nests is more average. While colonies are normally made up of only great blue herons they may also include other species of herons too.

An interesting great blue heron fact is that while they do prefer to nest in large numbers they only like to eat alone. They are highly territorial over their feeding area. And this actually the reason that heron decoys are so effective when used to keep these fish-eating birds away from backyard ponds.

Where Do Great Blue Herons Nest?

When it comes to location colonies are usually situated close to feeding areas such as lakes and other wetlands. While not many animals eat herons there are several that will eat heron eggs along with very young herons.

Therefore the nests themselves are often in hard-to-reach spots such as on islands and in trees located swamps. Nests are often also built very high up in trees, such as a hundred feet or higher, and usually with many different nests in the same individual tree.

Although not all blue herons do nest in trees, some herons may nest on the ground, on artificial platforms, on the edges of cliffs, on beaver mounds, on channel markers, in mangroves, reeds, or on cacti.

When Do Great Blue Herons Nest?

Great blue herons nest after the winter months which may be anywhere from December through March depending on the climate.  Birds in warmer climates generally nest earlier while those in cooler climates nest later.

Nest-Building And Egg-Laying

Herons often return to nest in the same location year after year and sometimes the same nest if it hasn’t been destroyed. Although damaged nests may be repaired and reused. The nests are built by the male heron which collects sticks from trees, the ground, and also other nests.

They are then presented to the female bird which weaves them together. Nests are lined with materials such as dried grass, leaves, moss, pine needles, and twigs which function as cushioning. The total construction can take a few days to a few weeks.

And nests that have been re-used over many years may over time become several feet wide and deep. The female will lay between three to six eggs that are light blue in color. These will hatch in about a month and the chicks will remain in the nest until they are about two months old.

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