HERONS 
61 
194. Great Blue Heron. (Incorrectly blue crane), blue heron, le grand 
heron bleu. Ardea herodias. L, 42. Plate III A. 
Distinctioyis . The largest heron found in Canada; the Sandhill or Little Brown Crane 
is the only bird for which it may be mistaken. The fully feathered forehead is diagnostic 
(Compare Figure 20, page 27, with 242, page 169). 
Field Marks. Heron-like outline, large size, and general coloration make the best 
field marks. Lffilike the cranes that fly with neck outstretched, the Great Blue, like other 
herons, travels with neck folded and head drawn in to shoulders (Figure 100, compare 
with 239, page 167). 
Nesting. Usually in large communities in wet woods, such as tamarack, ash, or elm 
swamps. Nest a large, bulky structure of sticks in tree tops. On the treeless prairies 
it nests on the ground on islets well out in the lakes and removed from prowling coyotes 
and other enemies. 
Distribution. Across the continent north to the Maritime Provinces, the lower St. 
Lawrence, the Great Lakes region, the central prairie sections, and on the west coast to 
southern Alaska. 
SUBSPECIES. The bird of the greater part of Canada is the type form Eastern 
Great Blue Heron (le Grand Heron bleu de 1’Est) Ardea herodias herodias. On the west 
coast occurs the Northwest Coast Heron (le Grand Heron bleu du Nord-Ouest), Ardea 
herodias fannini, an appreciably darker bird, especially on neck and back, and with tarsus 
averaging shorter. From present information, this race is confined to the coast from 
Washington northward. The heron of the interior of British Columbia has not been 
definitely determined, but is probably typical herodias. 
This bird throughout most of its range is mistakenly called “Blue 
Crane” or “Fish Crane.” It is not a crane, however, and especially in the 
west where cranes occur commonly such confusion should be avoided. 
The Great Blue Lleron haunts 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 liable 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 pic- 
turesque 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. 
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