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The Great Blue Heron is a tall bluish-grey bird, with a pale or yellowish bill. They have very long legs, and are sometimes mistaken for cranes. Often seen standing beside a lake or pond, they wait for fish or frogs to come within their reach. At this point they will strike with their long neck and spear-like bill. They are also known to prey upon small birds and insects. When in flight, the Great Blue Heron has a folded neck resembling an ‘S’.
Most Great Blue Herons nest in colonies in tall trees on an island or at the edge of a lake of the Algonquin Highlands. They build saucer-shaped nests of sticks, lined with fur. Colonies tend to contain 5 to 15 nests, and tend to last for a few years, until the trees begin to die, due to a build up of feces. The birds will then move on to another site. There is an average of 25 active colonies per year in the area. Females lay between 3 and 7 greenish-blue eggs. The Great Blue Heron produces a harsh squawk.
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GREAT BLUE HERON
Ardea herodias
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