Safety note: Nesting herons may strike with their bill — keep distance from rookeries.
The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America, standing nearly four feet tall with a six-foot wingspan. It hunts by wading slowly and stabbing fish, frogs, and even small mammals with its dagger-like bill. Despite its bulk, it flies with deep, slow wingbeats and its neck folded in an S-curve.
Habitat
Marshes, lake shores, rivers, and coastal estuaries
Diet
Fish, frogs, snakes, and small rodents
How common
Common
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