In a Heron Village 231 



THE HERON FAMILY 



The herons are wading birds that may be found along the banks 

 of rivers, ponds, and through the marshes. The Great Blue Heron is a 

 bird of great size, about four feet in length, with long neck and legs. 

 With long, spearlike bill, the bird wades stealthily watching for fish. 

 It has a heavy flight, moving along with big, slowly flapping wings. 

 The Night Herons are much smaller, only half the size of a blue heron, 

 and may be recognized by the stout bill and short, thick neck. 



Great Blue Heron {Ardea herodias): Male and female, upper parts, 

 bluish-gray; top of head white with long, black crest; feathers about neck, 

 long and loose; shoulders, black striped with gray; under parts, streaked 

 with black and white; thighs and edge of wings, cinnamon-brown. 

 Ranges through North America at large and can be recognized by its 

 large size and long legs. Nests in colonies, generally in tall trees. Three 

 or four large eggs of bluish-green. 



Black-crowned Night Heron {Nycticorax nycticorax nesvius). 

 Squawk: Male and female, crown and back, black; wings and tails 

 ashy-gray; forehead and throat, white, shading into light gray on side, 

 and under parts. Common summer resident on Pacific and Atlantic 

 Coast, arriving in April and staying till October. Nest, a mere platform 

 of sticks in the tree-top. Eggs, three or four, pale sea-green. 



