Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

The Great Blue Heron can stand as still as a statue at the water's edge, waiting and watching for a fish or frog to happen by. The instant one appears, the bird makes a lightning-fast strike with its spear-like bill.

Look For : A tall, grayish bird with white face, yellow bill, and black on its shoulders, crown, and belly. It has broad wings, a slow wingbeat, and folded neck in flight. A white form lives in Florida but unlike the Great Egret has greenish-yellow legs.

Length : 39-52".

Habitat : Marshes, swamps, rivers, lakes.

Range : Coastal Alaska, southern Canada, and Nova Scotia south throughout U.S. to Mexico and West Indies.