BIRDS FOUND IN BAYOUS AND MARSHES 93 



94. GREAT BLUE HERON, OR BLUE CRANE. — 

 Ardea herodias. 



Family : The Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns. 



Length: 45.50. 



Adults: Crown and thi'oat white ; sides and back of head white ; feath- 

 ers lengthened to form a crest ; upper parts bluish gray ; under parts 

 broadly striped black and white ; legs and feet black. 



Young : Top of head sooty slate ; throat white ; neck ashy, washed with 

 light brown ; under parts streaked buff, slate, and white, with some 

 black. 



OeograpMcal Distribution : North America from arctic regions south- 

 ward to the northern parts of South America. 



Breeding Range ; Breeds locally in colonies wherever found. 



Breeding Season : April and May. 



Nest : A platform of coarse sticks ; placed high up in the tree ; always in 

 colonies. 



Eggs: 3 to 4 ; pale bluish gray. Size 2.50 X 1.50. 



The Great Blue Heron is a common species through- 

 out California, and nests in almost every locality where 

 it is found. At Muir Station, California, there is a large 

 heronry in sycamore trees on the property of Mr. John 

 Muir, and the noise of the young birds at feeding time 

 can be heard half a mile away. The birds return to 

 their heronry in February, and the young are hatched 

 in April, though fresh eggs have been found as late as 

 June 1. The young are fed by regurgitation, which in this 

 case is a more than usually ludicrous performance. So 

 violent is the shaking which each young heron undergoes 

 in the process of receiving his food that he seems in 

 imminent danger of being jerked out of the nest and 

 hurled to the ground fifty feet below. 



These herons fly miles to obtain fish for food, and one 

 or the other parent is en route during all the daylight 



