Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias

Description    Field ID    Habitat    Conservation Status   Migration    Nest & Eggs    Song    The Water Connection

Stretch your arms as wide as you can. Now picture a bird whose wingspan is at least that wide. This is the Great Blue Heron, the largest, most widespread North American heron. An up-close encounter with this graceful bird is unforgettable, whether by canoe you come upon one stealthily hunting in a shallow river, or see one fly overhead, its huge wings slowly flapping, across a field or along a lakeshore.