One Big Happy Family

No, it’s not a family name. But these magnificent birds are members of the same bird family, so I guess it is! As we continue our Bird Bonanza, today we will meet the herons, from the truly large to the elusive and the small. 

The Great Blue Heron

Aptly named, their size and distinct coloring are just two characteristics that describe them. But don’t let their large size fool you. They are remarkably graceful in flight. You’ll find them in or around water, where they search for food.

Here are some interesting facts about these amazing birds:

• Despite their impressive size, Great Blue Herons weigh only 5 to 6 pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones—a feature all birds share.
• Great Blue Herons have specialized feathers on their chest that continually grow and fray. The herons comb this “powder down” with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using the down like a washcloth to remove fish slime and other oils from their feathers as they preen. Applying the powder to their underparts protects their feathers against the slime and oils of swamps.
• The oldest recorded Great Blue Heron was found in Texas when it was at least 24 years, 6 months old.

The Little Blue Heron

Also aptly named, once you see it up close and discover the blue on its beaks and feathers. Much smaller than its cousins, the Great Blue Heron, the juveniles are stunning with their snow-white feathers interspersed with blue.

Let’s learn more about them:

• Little Blue Herons may gain a survival advantage by wearing white during their first year of life. Immature birds are likelier than their blue elders to be tolerated by Snowy Egrets—and in the egrets’ company, they catch more fish. Mingling in mixed-species flocks of white herons, immature Little Blue Herons probably also acquire extra protection against predators.
• When observing groups of white herons and egrets foraging together, look for the slow, deliberate movements of an immature Little Blue Heron. This stately and deliberate pace helps distinguish the Little Blue Heron from its relatives, which tend to move more quickly or erratically.
• The oldest known Little Blue Heron was at least 13 years, 11 months old. It was banded in 1957 in Virginia and found in Maryland in 1971.

The Black-Crowned Night Heron

An elusive bird during daylight, they love to hide from view in dense brush or among the trees. So when you see one out in the open, it’s a rare treat and photo opportunity! Again, they are aptly named due to the distinctive black “crown” on their heads. But the most striking feature is their captivating red eyes. When they look at you, it is as though they are peering through your soul. 

Here are some cool facts about these unique birds:

• They are common in wetlands across North America—you just may have to look a little harder than you do for most herons. True to their name, these birds do most of their feeding at night and spend much of the day hunched among leaves and branches at the water’s edge. Evening and dusk are good times to look for these rather stout, short-necked herons flying out to foraging grounds.
• Black-crowned Night Herons nest in groups that often include other species, including herons, egrets, and ibises.

• The oldest Black-crowned Night Heron on record was a female who was at least 21 years, 5 months old when she was found in California in 2012. She was banded there in 1992.