HERON FAMILY 



1 8 = 



fish, small snakes, salamanders and various water 

 creatures which are more harmful than useful, 

 not to mention grasshoppers and meadow mice. 

 Under these conditions it becomes difficult to 

 approach one of these alert and far-.~ighted birds 

 even to within field-glass range. .-X stalk of this 

 kin<i is. however, well worth while if it brings 

 the (ibserver to within observation distance, for 

 his reward will be an exhibition of stealthy and 

 skillful fishing which i ; boimd to command his 

 admiration. 



Much of this fishing the Heron does without 

 stirring from the position he takes in shallow 

 water among reeds or near the shore. Motion- 

 less as a statue he stands, his long neck doubled 

 into a flattened S and his keen eyes searching the 

 water nearby. As a frog or fish apprcjaches he 

 holds his rigid position until the creature comes 

 within striking range, and the Heron knows 

 what that is to a small fraction of an inch. Then 

 suddenly the curved neck straightens out and 

 simultaneously the long, rapier-like bill shoots 



the fisherman has resumed his statuesque {jose. 

 Again, the great bird may be seen stalking slowly 

 through shallow water, lifting each foot above 



PhotiJ uy U. L. l-iiilL-y and H. T. Buhliii.iji 



GREAT BLUE HERON 



downward with a stroke which is quicker than 

 the eye can follow and seldom misses its mark. 

 In a second the fish or frog has disa])peared, and 



fii'il" by H. k J.jl. l.'j.-rU!.i ul UuUini I'ub. Cu. 



A COLONY OF GREAT BLUE HERONS 



the surface, and sliding it into the water again 

 so gently as t() cause hardly a ripple ; and woe 

 to the crawfish or salamander that does not 

 observe that approach. 



Like most Herons, the Great Blue is a solitary 

 bird in its habits except during the breeding 

 season. Then the birds show a strongly marked 

 gregarious instinct by forming colonies, generally 

 in isolated swamps, where they build their huge 

 nests and bring up their young, which are fed 

 by regurgitation. These heronries are most 

 interesting institutions for the bird-student. 

 Occasionally several nests are placed in a single 

 tree, and frequently colonies are foimd which 

 include 150 or more nests. Unless the birds are 

 seriously molested they are likely to return for 

 many successive years to the same nesting-site. 



It is well known that members of the Heron 

 family feed to a great' extent on fish and other 

 forms of aquatic life, and consequently do not 

 live far from water. The Great Blue Herons at 

 times depart from this family trait and visit 

 hillsides, cultivated fields, and drier meadows in 

 search of pocket gophers, ground squirrels, and 

 field mice, which they greedily devour. Pellets 

 collected in an inland ne;ting colony of these 

 Herons showed that a very large proportion of 

 the food of the young is made up of these 

 injin"ious rodents. The Herons, like other flesh- 

 eating birds, digest their food rapidly and are 

 disposed to gorge themselves when opportunity 

 offers. It is fair to assume as a low average 

 that a pair of Herons with four or five young will 

 consume twelve to fifteen gophers per day. 



George Gladden. 



