The great blue heron is among the tallest herons in North America and its wingspan can be up to 6 feet wide! Its bill is sharp and serrated, which makes it well suited to grip slippery prey. A patient hunter, the blue heron hunts by wading slowly in shallow water where it finds crayfish, fish, small turtles, and frogs. It rarely hunts for small animals and large insects on land.

Fantastic Facts

There is a white color phase of the blue heron called a great white heron, but it's range is limited to southern Florida and isn't found in Minnesota.

Nests are generally located 30-70 feet above the ground or water in a large tree, which often stands in water or on an island. Such a location decreases nest predation by land-based predators.

Blue herons have a serrated claw used during preening.

Many fish, such as perch and bluegills, are armed with sharp spines. To eat fish, blue herons turn their prey so it is swallowed head first. This depresses spines, usually located in the fins, against the fish's body and makes it less likely that the bird will get pricked.

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Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Key ID Features: Large, long-legged wading birds. Gray blue with white around eyes and gray crown.

Present in Park: March through November. There is an easily observed rookery on an island at North Mississippi Regional Park.

Habitat: Small ponds and streams, large lakes and rivers, wetlands. Nests colonially in trees, often with other species. Nests are clumsy stick affairs high in trees, often on islands.