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One of the largest bird species in Ohio, populations of the great blue heron are widely distributed throughout the state. Native to Ohio, there was a time when heron numbers dwindled as these birds’ feathers were a favorite of the millinery trade during the 1800s. The great blue heron is often observed motionless, as it pursues its prey while standing in a stream, river or wetland. Unlike numerous other predators that actively stalk on foot or wing, the great blue heron takes the complete opposite approach–it stands still, watching the water for a fish. Then in the blink of an eye, in a sharp and seamless movement it will snare its prey.
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Great Blue heron
Ardea herodias
At-a-Glance
• Mating: Monogamous
• Peak of Breeding Activity: March 25-April 15
• Incubation Period: 28 days
• Young Hatch: May
• Number of Eggs: 3-7, usually 4
• Eggs Produced: Once a year, but they will renest if a nest is destroyed.
• Feeding Periods: Herons feed during both day and night.
• Typical Foods: Fish, snakes, frogs, crustaceans, birds, small mammals, and insects.
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Description
The great blue heron stands nearly four feet tall. It has a whitish head with black plumes that originate just above its eyes and project out behind its head. The plumage of the body is brown, black, and white, yet it gives an overall appearance of being a bluish-gray color. The toes of its feet are not webbed. For the most part, great blue herons are silent birds; they utter a rough croaking sound when alarmed or harassed.
Habitat and Habits
The great blue heron is found in both freshwater and saltwater habitats. It prefers shallow water areas with trees for nesting nearby. Great blue herons may be found along the banks of rivers or at the shores of major water ways such as Lake Erie.
The herons will migrate to warmer areas with unfrozen waters in the winter; rarely does a great blue heron remain in the state at this time of year. They return to Ohio as soon as the ice melts mid-February in warm years and mid-March during a particularly long or cold winter.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
These birds are colonial nesters, with 10 to 75 pairs nesting in one location. Both the male and the female will incubate the eggs, and once the young have hatched feed them by regurgitating food into their mouths. In Ohio breeding occurs generally from the end of March through mid-April. The hatching period begins after 28 days of incubation, usually reaching its peak in May. Once the young herons hatch, they are altrical, or helpless. The young birds will have matured enough to leave the nest after about 60 days. |
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