Great Blue Heron (Blue Crane)

A graceful, soft contour feather from the magnificent Great Blue Heron, North America's largest heron species known for its statuesque posture, slow and powerful wingbeats, and specialized hunting technique in shallow waters

Graduated brownish-gray tones shifting to pale whitish-grey at the base with a prominent white central rachis

Mix of pennaceous structure along the upper vane and loose, plumulaceous, downy barbs at the base with no afterfeather

Soft, silky, and somewhat loose-webbed with a matte finish and flexible vane

Bright white central shaft contrasted with muted brownish-gray pennaceous tips and soft, loose plumulaceous base barbs

Freshwater and saltwater wetlands, marshes, swamps, riverbanks, and coastal shores

Widely distributed throughout North and Central America, ranging from Alaska down to South America

Acts as an apex predator in aquatic wetland food webs, helping to control fish and amphibian populations

Sandhill Crane or other large wading birds, distinguished by differences in shaft color and barb density

Great Blue Herons can swallow remarkably large fish whole, sometimes resulting in choking if the prey is misjudged

Good condition with minor wear at the distal tip and intact barbs