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The Great Blue Heron is a haunter of open, shallow water. It rarely 
frequents dense reed-beds, though it is often found on their outskirts or 
on the edges of pools within them. It prefers wide, shallow reaches of 
rivers, or open flats of marsh or tidal shores. It is a still-hunter, cautiously 
wading with almost imperceptible movements, or standing statuesquely 
regarding the water until its prey comes within reach when, with a lightning 
stroke of the sharp bill, it is secured. Herons, nesting in large rookeries 
in wet woods, have been peculiarly open to the senseless persecution 
that seems to follow all our larger birds. Wary and suspicious ordinarily, 
in the vicinity of their nests they lose much of their usual caution and, 
in the rookeries, the birds can be shot in numbers. Heronries are usually 
known to all the surrounding country and are in the breeding season often 
visited by the rural sportsman who kills the parent birds and leaves the 
young to die of hunger, although a landowner has occasionally sufficient 
public spirit to protect heronries on his property. The result is that this 
picturesque bird is becoming scarce. Heronries once destroyed in this 
manner are seldom if ever repopulated and new ones are rarely established. 
Birds breeding in communities are seldom driven away to new locations. 
They remain until the individuals composing them are exterminated. 
The Blue Heron is a harmless bird and should receive every protection 
possible. 
Economic Status. The food of the Great Blue Heron is almost entirely 
animal in its nature, consisting mainly of frogs, snakes, and small fish 
usually of no economic importance. Cranes frequent the fields for food, 
but the Herons never do so. Occasionally Herons may visit trout streams 
where they meander through open meadows, but such cases are rare and 
insufficient for the condemnation of the species. Herons often frequent 
the pound nets of the fishermen, but the limited size of their gullets pre- 
cludes their taking anything of economic importance and the suspicion 
of the net owners against them is unfounded. 
v 
White Herons or Egrets 
Though not forming a recognized systematic division of the Herons 
there are several species showing pure white plumages, that are distinct 
enough to warrant discussion. 
In some of these species, particularly the Egrets, white is the adult 
plumage; in others, it is dichromatism, that is, the species occurs in two 
colour phases, either of which is normal, and cannot be referred to either 
albinism or melanism, or to sex, age, or season. In still other species the 
white is a plumage of juvenility. These white plumages were a source of 
considerable confusion in identifying species until they were fully worked 
out. All the White Herons are of southern distribution and are rare in 
Canada. 
196. American Egret. Casmerodius egretta. L, 41. Almost as large as the Great 
Blue Heron, but always pure white. In breeding season a cascade of some fifty fine 
straight plumes originates in middle back region and festoons over lower back and tail. 
No plumes on head or neck. 
Distinctions. Size, colour, and obviously heron-like outline. 
Field Marks. As above. 
Nesting. In communities, in nests of sticks in trees or bushes over water. 
