Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Order

CICONIIFORMES

Family

Bitterns, Herons and Egrets (Ardeidae)

Code 4

GBHE

Code 6

ARDHER

ITIS

HEAD

Bill Shape: Dagger
Eye Color: Shades of yellow, varying with region.
Head Pattern: Eyeline, Capped, Crested or plumed, Unique pattern
Crown Color: White with bold black lines on sides.
Forehead Color: White
Nape Color: White
Throat Color: Gray with black and white streaks on midline of foreneck.
Cere color: Gray

BODY

Length Range: 117-132 cm (46-52 in)
Weight: 2585 g (91.2 oz)
Size: 5. Very Large (32 - 72 in)
Color Primary: Gray
Underparts: Blue-gray with black sides and red-brown upper legs.
Upperparts: Pale blue-gray
Back Pattern: Solid
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Solid

FLIGHT

Flight Pattern: Direct flight with slow steady wing beats.
Wingspan Range: 196-208 cm (77-82 in)
Wing Shape: Broad-Wings, Pointed-Wings
Tail Shape: Squared Tail
Tail Pattern: Solid
Upper Tail: Blue-gray
Under Tail: White
Leg Color: Black-yellow

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden2.

Field Guide to Birds of North America