Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is the largest heron in North America, instantly recognizable by its slate-blue plumage, white face, black eye stripe, and long yellow bill. It inhabits a wide range of aquatic environments, from freshwater marshes and river edges to estuaries, salt marshes, and rocky coastlines.

Mass (typical / record)

2 kg

Top speed

—

Body length

1.0 m

Diet

Carnivore

Habitats

freshwater wetlands, marshes, estuaries

IUCN: LC (Least Concern)

Revered by many Indigenous North American peoples as symbols of patience, self-reliance, and good luck. The Great Blue Heron appears in the mythology of Pacific Northwest nations and is a clan symbol among the Haida. Widely depicted in North American art and valued as an indic…