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Project Noah Nature School
Ardea herodias
Largest of the North American herons with long legs, a sinuous neck, and thick, daggerlike bill. Head, chest, and wing plumes give a shaggy appearance. Great Blue Herons appear blue-gray from a distance, with a wide black stripe over the eye.
One flying low over the ponds at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/inde...
Their very slow wingbeats, tucked-in neck and trailing legs create an unmistakable image in flight. Thanks to specially shaped neck vertebrae, Great Blue Herons can curl their neck into an S shape for a more aerodynamic flight profile and to quickly strike prey at a distance.
Spotted on Nov 2, 2013
Submitted on Nov 5, 2013
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