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Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Description:

Whether poised at a river bend or cruising the coastline with slow, deep wingbeats, the Great Blue Heron is a majestic sight. This stately heron with its subtle blue-gray plumage often stands motionless as it scans for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. They may move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher. In flight, look for this widespread heron’s tucked-in neck and long legs trailing out behind.

Notes:

Great Blue Herons eat nearly anything within striking distance, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, insects, and other birds. They grab smaller prey in their strong mandibles or use their dagger-like bills to impale larger fish, often shaking them to break or relax the sharp spines before gulping them down. What You Can Do To Help: Even though Great Blue Herons are large animals, the scare very easily. With a little luck, you can see one wading in the waters on a constant hunt. The best thing to do is just to keep your distance so they don't become scared and lose a potential meal.

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4 Comments

Josh Asel
Josh Asel 9 years ago

Thank you very much venusflytrap2000 :)

Caleb Steindel
Caleb Steindel 9 years ago

Wow, joshua, love your spottings and greatly respect you for your bold love of Jesus Christ!

Josh Asel
Josh Asel 10 years ago

Thanks Ashley :)

AshleyT
AshleyT 10 years ago

Great photo! Don't forget the scientific name :)

Josh Asel
Spotted by
Josh Asel

California, USA

Spotted on Jan 12, 2014
Submitted on Jan 31, 2014

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