Photo: Acarpentier / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of North America.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a member of the Ardeidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 2.5 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Pelecaniformes
- Family Ardeidae Herons, Bitterns
- Genus Ardea
- Species herodias
Quick facts
- Weight
- 2.5 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike in plumage; males average slightly larger and have marginally longer ornamental plumes, but the difference is hard to discern.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles/immatures are duller, with a dull blackish-gray crown, dull gray-yellow bill, weakly defined flank pattern, and no ornamental plumes.
Breeding vs non-breeding
At the height of the breeding season adults grow long lower-neck, back, and black occipital (head) plumes, and briefly the bill brightens to orange and the legs flush orangey.
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Blue Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Great Blue Heron is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a species of bird in the Ardeidae family, part of the order Pelecaniformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 2.5 kg, with a wing length of about 46.6 cm and a tail of around 16.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 12.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Blue Heron?
The Great Blue Heron is a very large bird that weighs around 2.5 kg.
Where does the Great Blue Heron live?
The Great Blue Heron is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Great Blue Heron belong to?
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) belongs to the Ardeidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Great Blue Heron eat?
The Great Blue Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Great Blue Heron migrate?
The Great Blue Heron is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Great Blue Heron endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Blue Heron make?
1 real field recording of the Great Blue Heron — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Blue Heron's range?
The Great Blue Heron has a mapped global range of about 12.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Guides for this bird
Belted Kingfisher vs Great Blue Heron: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Belted Kingfisher from a Great Blue Heron — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.
Great Blue Heron vs Sandhill Crane: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Great Blue Heron from a Sandhill Crane — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.