Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is the largest North American heron, standing up to 4 feet tall with a massive wingspan reaching over 6 feet. They possess slate-blue plumage, a majestic dagger-like bill, and slow, powerful flight with their neck folded in an S-shape.

Uniform soft slate-gray to blue-gray coloration with a prominent white rachis and subtle silver sheen

Pennaceous vane with tightly interlocked barbs and barbicels for most of the length, transitioning to slightly looser barbs near the base

Smooth, firm, and matte texture with rigid vane structure and slight flexibility near the tip

Large size, distinctive uniform blue-gray coloration, and stark white central rachis

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

Widespread across North and Central America, ranging from Alaska down to South America and the Caribbean

Apex predator in wetland food webs helping control populations of fish, amphibians, small mammals, and insects

Sandhill Crane or other large wading birds, distinguished by coloration and shaft morphology

Great Blue Herons can strike with lightning speed to impale fish with their sharp bills and have specialized vertebrae that allow them to fold their neck into an S-shape during flight

Good condition with minor wear and slight fraying near the base