Great blue heron

Description:

The Great Blue Heron was one of the many species originally described by Carolus Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae. It is the largest North American heron, reaching a head-to-tail length of 91–137 cm (36–54 in), a wingspan of 167–201 cm (66–79 in), a height of 115–138 cm (45–54 in), and a weight of 2.1–3.6 kg (4.6–7.9 lb). The heron stride is around 22 cm (9 in), almost in a straight line.

Habitat:

This bird is commonly seen near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. Spotted near a river.