
Extremely tall, gray-blue heron that is often mistaken for a "crane" by non-birders. Adult: gray and white face, pale yellow eye, broad dark stripes border the white crown, black plumes and white crown stripe extending to thick yellowish bill. Long, gray neck with white and black streaking on the foreneck. Shaggy feathers at base of neck. Upper body gray-blue with dark shoulders. Black belly with reddish feathers above long, pale gray legs. In flight, look for coiled neck (cranes fly with necks outstretched) and darker flight feathers, which contrast with paler upper wing coverts. Juvenile: similar to adult except lacks plumes and black on body. All dark crown. Gray face, white throat. White Morph: All white plumage in flight. White head, neck and body. Dark lores, pale eye. Very heavy yellow bill. Buffy legs.
Length: 117 (cm) Wingspan: 183 (cm)
Voice:
Call: Loud, hoarse kraaaack.
Habitat:
Almost any wetlands, or shallow bodies of water. Also found in fields. White-morph found in shallow coastal areas. Uses trees for nesting.
Behavior:
Colony nesters. Forages by slowly stalking prey, then grabbing it with bill, swallowing food whole. During winter, often seen "mousing" in fields with no standing water.
Feeding:
Diet consists of fish, crayfish, amphibians, small birds, small mammals and invertebrates.
Field Notes
Expanded Life History
Feed Ecology And Diet | Contribute Content |
Nesting Habits | Contribute Content |
Migration Status | Contribute Content |
Conservation Status | Contribute Content |
Local Sites to Spot | Contribute Content |
Abundance Status | Contribute Content |
Adult Male Description | Contribute Content |
Adult Female Description | Contribute Content |
ITIS Taxonomic Number | Contribute Content |
Sonogram | Contribute Content |
Courtship | Contribute Content |
Reproductive Characteristics | Contribute Content |
Relationship to Humans | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Size & Shape | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Color & Pattern | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Habitat | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Behavior | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Wingspan | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Weight | Contribute Content |
Breeding | Contribute Content |
Cool Facts | Contribute Content |
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Sightings
Date | Submitted By | Count |
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09/25/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
09/18/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
09/11/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
09/11/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
09/04/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
09/04/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/28/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/28/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/28/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/21/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/21/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/14/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/14/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/07/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
08/07/18 | Steven Mauvais, OR | # |
Recent Activity
Activity | Date & Time |
---|---|
Nina Bohn added Great Blue Heron to their Freeway Birds smart list | 4/16/2013 at 11:06AM |
Bryan Ward added Great Blue Heron to their Oberlin, Ohio smart list | 5/07/2012 at 11:27AM |
dawn villaescusa added Great Blue Heron to their Coast to Valley Commute smart list | 2/17/2012 at 9:05PM |
Jacob Parks added Great Blue Heron to their Tillamook Bay smart list | 11/02/2011 at 12:39AM |
Dan Mitchell added Great Blue Heron to their Mitchell's Backyard, Tigard, Oregon smart list | 8/07/2011 at 9:19AM |
Bjorn Hinrichs added Great Blue Heron to their Home - Yard List smart list | 4/10/2011 at 8:35AM |