By Mary Lundeberg – A beautiful great blue heron, dressed in his finest grey breeding plumage was performing a mating display, stretching his neck upward with his bill skyward and his long feathers outward, trying to attract a mate. Although great blue herons don’t mate for life, their complex and varied courtship rituals enable these birds to form strong bonds to raise their young together. In addition to their dance, birds will snap their bills, preen each other, moan, and exchange sticks.

While normally solitary, colonies of great blue herons and other species of wading birds come together during mating season to nest and raise their young in rookeries. The colonies can range from a few pairs to 500 birds. Great blue herons prefer islands surrounded by water, and in the southeastern U.S., alligators prevent predators, such as raccoons, from eating the birds’ eggs.

Once a female lays 3 eggs, both parents share incubation duties. Feeding their hatched chicks through regurgitation, about one third of the chicks survive their first year. Adults become sexually active at two years old and live an average of 15 years.

You can find great blue herons, the largest heron in North America, standing silently along rivers, ponds, and lakeshores, patiently waiting to rapidly strike a fish, frog, or snake. Great blue herons eat primarily fish, but will also eat rodents, voles, and even small waterbirds. Although regal, great blue herons are also common and wide-ranging, gracing Canada, the U.S. and Mexico with their natural beauty. Northern birds migrate to Florida, the Caribbean, Central America or northern South America unless they can find open water and food where they live up north.

During migration, great blue herons can fly as fast as 30 mph., and as high as 7,000 feet above sea level. They usually position their long neck in an S-shape while flying.

Great blue herons are the tallest herons in North America, standing about 4 feet, with an impressive wingspan of almost six feet. In spite of their large size, these birds only weigh 4 to 5 pounds, because their bones are hollow. Their webbed feet enable them to swim, although typically, they forage using their long legs and patience to stalk prey. If disturbed, these magnificent birds will squawk loudly and fly off. Native Americans treasured great blue herons for their self-determination and self-reliance, and for many, these birds continue to symbolize inner peace and stability.

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