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Great Blue Herons

To make it easier to picture the great blue heron in the wild, browse the images below.

 

Great blue herons (ardea herodias) can be found in any watery habitat from Alaska and Canada, down through the United States into Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and the northern tip of South America. They are a partial migrant, moving only when the water freezes over and a rare vagrant to Europe.

The great blue heron is a opportunistic feeder, eating mainly fish, but will devour almost anything edible that comes within striking distance. It tends to stand very still waiting for its prey to come to it. You will see it wading slowly, up to belly deep in water, or standing like a statue.

They build stick nests in bushes or trees in colonies, usually over water or on a small island surrounded by water. They lose the occassional chick that falls out of the nest to alligators, but in exchange the alligators keep other predators like raccoons from getting to the nests.

Lake Morton Fly Over

A great blue heron flying over Lakeland, Florida's Lake Morton.

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Taking Flight

A great blue heron takes flight from a cypress tree on the shores of Lakeland, Florida's Lake Parker.

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Blue Thoughts

This great blue heron was scratching its head as it perched in a tree on the banks of the Withlacoochee River in Marion County, Florida.

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Soaring Great Blue

This great blue heron was soaring over the Hillsborough River in Tampa, Florida's John Sargent Park.

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Jetty Blue

This great blue heron was perched on the south jetty in Venice, Florida.

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Great Blue With Juvenile

This great blue heron and juvenile were in a nest at the rookery in Venice, Florida.

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Blue Heron Overlook

A great blue heron rest in a tree overlooking a pond in a rookiery near Kissimmee, Florida.

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Marsh Vigil

A great blue heron looks for prey in a marshy area of Lake Apopka, Florida.

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Love Lorn

A great blue heron searches for a mate in a rookery near Kissimmee, Florida,

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Morning Calm

A great blue heron wades through the alligator infested waters of an Osceola County rookery near Kissimmee, Florida.

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Portrait Of A Great Blue

This great blue heron was looking through the spatterdock on Lakeland, Florida's Lake Morton in late September of 2016 hoping to find a meal.

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Scratch

A great blue heron scratches an itch on the shore of Lakeland, Florida's Lake Morton in April of 2016.

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