Great Blue Heron nesting

Photo by Stan Tekiela

by Stan Tekiela
© NatureSmart

August 29, 2016

There is a large and very common bird that perhaps you see on a regular basis but rarely does anyone see it nesting. The bird is the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) and is the largest / tallest of the North American herons. The name is often shorted to just "GBH" because it's a whole lot easier than saying Great Blue Heron. It is found in every state in the nation in good numbers. Some regions see this long legged bird all year long while others see them in warmer weather only.

This bird is a great example of how common names often don't make any sense. Let's break down the name, Great refers to being the largest of its kind. I can agree with that part of the name. What I have problems with is the "blue" part of the name. I have photographed this bird in all stages of its life and in more parts of the country than I can count and it never looks blue to me at all. It should be called the Great Gray Heron because most of bird is gray not blue. But enough of my rant about bad common names.

Standing 4 feet tall, most of this height comes from the spindly long legs and snake like neck. It holds its long neck in a tight S shape while flying so you often don't notice the neck length. However its long stick like legs stretch out behind making them fairly easy to identify this bird in flight.

Like many but not all herons, the Great Blue Heron stalks shallow fresh and also salt water habitats looking for small fish. They are comfortable hunting in rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds and even the ocean shore. They use their eyesight to spot their prey. They may move incredibly slowly but when they strike the head and beak move like lightning.

They are well known as a top predator for fish but not many know these birds also hunt away water and will stalk gophers, mice, shrews and other small rodents in fields and prairies. Last winter I watched and photographed several Great Blue Herons hunting gophers in agricultural fields in Northern California. These birds are also well known for taking small birds right out of the nests. They stalk around cattail marshes looking for nesting birds and will snatch up any baby bird they find. Great Blue's also hunt for chipmunks, snakes and just about anything else they can stab with their long pointed stiletto bill.

Great Blues hunt both day and night thanks to an abundance of rods in their eyes that allows them to have excellent vision in very low lighting.

As common as these birds can be, not many people have seen them nesting. That is because they nest in colonies called a heronries. They build large nests made of sticks in dead or living trees. Nests are usually 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Often times there will be upwards of 5 nests in one tree depending upon how many branches are available to hold the nests.

The heronries are spread wide and far and often on islands in large lakes or rivers. This is why many people don't see these birds nesting. A good sized heronry will have over 100 nests. Often times other birds such a Great Egrets and Double-crested Cormorants also nest in these colonies which then changes the name to a rookery instead of just a heronry due to the mixed residents.

Great Blue Herons will return to the same rookery for many decades often sprucing up the nest at the beginning of the season. This means the nests get larger and larger with each season. If you get a chance to see a rookery yourself it will be worth the time. Until next time...

Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels the US to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed at www.facebook.com and www.twitter.com. He can be contacted via his web page at www.naturesmart.com.