Great Blue Herons - Reproduction-General Information
Great Blue Herons - BreedingGreat Blue Herons normally breed from March to May in the northern range and during the months of November to April in the southern area. Great Blues living further to the north tend to have more eggs. Females usually lay between 2 and 7 eggs that are pale blue. The parents take turns in incubating the eggs. They sit on the nest to keep the eggs warm until they hatch. The eggs hatch after 26-30 days of incubation. The chicks live in the nest for about 2 months. At the age of 2 months the babies are quite ready to survive on their own. They start fledging.Both parents care for the babies until they are ready to leave the nest. Great Blue Herons become sexually mature at the age of 22 months. The young are very vulnerable. More than half of young Great Blue Herons die before they are one year old. Great Blue Herons - NestingGreat Blue Herons build their nests on a limb in a tree 30-70 feet tall. Sometimes, they nest in a shrub, or on ground. The nest is platform-like about 18 inches to 4 feet across, lined with twigs and leaves. Nests are usually repaired and reused from year to year.
Great Blue Herons - BehaviorGreat Blue Herons are active in the mornings and at dusk. This is the time when fishing is the best. These birds are relatively quiet in comparison with other members of the Heron family. Solitary predators, they prefer to hunt alone. These are territorial birds that tend to defend their nests in an aggressive manner. Great Blue Herons live in groups called colonies.Great Blue Herons - General Information LinksArdea Herodias - Geographic range, natural history, and information on economic importance for humans. Bird of the Week - Great Blue Heron - Read of the white version of the bird that resides in Florida and of the general ecology of the species. Listen to an audio file of its call. Birds of Nova Scotia - Great Blue Heron - Tells of the tall bird that summers in Canada. Describes its breeding colony nesting habits. Distribution - Obtain information about the Great Blue Heron distribution, read some notes and view pictures. East Lake Washington Audubon Society - Find the general description of the Great Blue Heron on this page. Environment Canada - HWW, Great Blue Heron - Hinterland Who's Who fact sheet describes the distinctive features, diet, and habitat of this large wading bird. Provides a map of its seasonal distribution.
Florida Nature - Taxonomic classification and photos of Great Blue Herons. Georgia Wildlife - Great Blue Heron - See the bird in its blue and white phases, see where it dwells in the state. Great Blue Heron - Shares photos of the blue version of the bird and of the white subspecies. Tells of its natural history. Great Blue Heron in Brief - Contains general information on the bird. Great Blue Heron Outline - Appearance, range, food preferences, hunting technique, nesting and other pieces of basic information on Great Blue Herons. Great Blue Heron Pictures - Contains photos of Great Blue Herons. Great Blue Herons Facts - Find out what they look like, where they live, what they eat, how they behave, how they reproduce and some more information. Maryland Department of Natural Resources - Great Blue Heron - Fact sheet gives a fun account of the ecology of the species. Map shows where it breeds in the state. Our Wild Neighbors - Learn all general characteristics of the Great Blue Herons. Photos - View some Great Blue Heron pictures. The Ardea Herodias - Contains information on taxonomy, habitat and distribution, life history and population biology, community ecology and other facts concerning the Great Blue Heron. Watershed Radio - Read a story about dancing Herons. Great Blue Heron Sanctuary.
White Great Blue Herons - Three pictures of Great Blue Herons taken in Everglades National Park. Wildlife Photography Gallery - Great Blue Heron - Shares nearly 20 photographs of the species in the wild. Gives its full taxonomy. Great Blue Herons - Critter Corner LinksEnchantedLearning.com - Great Blue Heron - Kids can pick up some facts regarding the bird's ecology and print out a drawing for coloring. Mather Field Vernal Pools - Description, fun facts, life cycle, ecology, conservation. Educational information on Great Blue Herons your children will certainly enjoy.
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