adult, ventral view(California, USA; 2006-07-29)


Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias

Native Range: North America and Middle America

Notes: a large and vocal wading heron with a sturdy bill used to spear fish and frogs, or sometimes small mammals when it feeds on land; no sexual dimorphism; nests in colonies.

adult, dorsal view (California, USA; 2010-05-02)
stalking prey (California, USA; 2007-05-13)

head held back on shoulders in flight (California, USA; 2006-01-05)
note breeding plumes on head (California, USA; 2008-04-13)

showing long snake-like neck (California, USA; 2006-05-07) 		standing in shallows (California, USA; 2007-05-19)
juvenil, showing striped underparts (California, USA; 2006-08-13) juvenile (Florida, USA; 2007-12-24)
adult showing neck breeding plumes (California, USA; 2009-03-15) stalking prey (Texas, USA; 2006-04-07)
landing in a field (California, USA; 2007-02-12) large stick nest (California, USA; 2006-04-16)
nesting colony (California, USA; 2007-02-04) posing for a portrait (California, USA; 2007-10-14)