Bird of the Week: Great Blue Heron

Species: Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias

Family: Ardeidae

Sign: Scorpio

Favorite hobby: Camera spotting

Dear reader, 

Of the many wonders of the Canyon, the Great Blue Heron stands out as one of my favorite sightings. They are the largest bird on campus by a long run, and the largest heron in North America. Despite their size, Great Blue Herons have always struck me as unique for their exceedingly delicate and deliberate movements. If a flitting, constantly active warbler is on one end of the spectrum of how birds maneuver through their surroundings, then a Great Blue Heron is on the other end. When not posed in perfect stillness so as not to alert fish, their primary food source, of their presence, they walk through shallow water with a concentration that allows them to cause hardly a ripple. As its feet move, its head remains in place and its eyes focused on the water’s surface. Of course, when catching a fish, a Great Blue Heron pierces the water with an impressively abrupt gesture compared to their measured movements as they prepare. When it eventually catches its prey, it’s hard not to feel a sense of satisfaction for the patient hunter. Great Blue Herons are mostly solitary while hunting, but when they nest, it’s often in colonies of 500 or more. 

Great Blue Herons populate the entirety of North and Central America, living year-round in Oregon and most of the Pacific Northwest, and during migration and their breeding season in other regions. Unlike many other birds, they are on the less significant end of sexual dimorphism: males are larger than females, but the two are otherwise virtually indistinguishable. These herons are distinctive by their size as well as the pale blue-gray color on their wings and necks. The front of their necks are speckled with dark brown, and their faces fade into white. They are crowned with dark blue above their eyes on both sides of their heads, the plumes extending out behind their heads. Great Blue Herons are adorned with wispy feathering on their back and chest, which is especially useful to them in their mating displays. Concealed beneath these breast feathers is a particular sort of down feather, “powder down,” that is present on other herons and birds, like pigeons and doves. Being fishers above all else, Great Blue Herons deal with unwanted oils and fish slime in their plumage. By running a specialized fringed claw on its middle toe through the powder down, the tips of the feathers break down into a dust that the heron collects and runs through its feathers as it preens them. These powder feathers never molt and grow continuously, so they constantly replenish themselves. Like vultures, the Great Blue Heron has biological precautions for its sanitary maintenance. This isn’t their only specially adapted trait, though! The Great Blue Heron's neck vertebrates act like a powerful spring when they launch to attack prey, allowing them to strike from more of a distance. They often fold their neck in seemingly unnatural ways, most pronounced when they are in flight. When tucked into their chest, it is a strange sight to see their neck unfurl into its fully extended form. 

Perhaps because of their comforting familiarity, I am always thankful when I spot a Great Blue Heron haunting the marshland, forever statuesque and elegant. When I used to bird watch at a couple of ponds near my hometown, they were a regular staple to the rest of the day’s sightings. Slow, patient, but not leisurely, Great Blue Herons always remind me of a cat locked in on an unaware target. No matter how many times I encounter them, these stilted beauties will always have a special place in my heart.