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The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America, as well as far northwestern South America, the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is occasionally found in the Azores and is a rare vagrant to Europe.
The feathers of the herons are soft and the plumage is usually blue, black, brown, grey, or white, and can often be strikingly complex. Amongst the day herons, little sexual dimorphism in plumage is seen (except in the pond-herons); however, for the night herons and smaller bitterns, plumage differences between the sexes are the rule.
Little blue heron. The little blue heron [note 1] (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron of the genus Egretta. It is a small, darkly colored heron with a two-toned bill. Juveniles are entirely white, bearing resemblance to the snowy egret. During the breeding season, adults develop different coloration on the head, legs, and feet.
If you spot a great blue heron, here are some helpful tips for expert bird watching, and a few things you definitely should not do.
Great blue herons can withstand colder weather than some other wading birds. Despite its size, great blue herons usually weigh less than five pounds. Their name refers to their slate gray feathers ...
They noted that Bock had not given reasons why he had placed the species in Ardea, and felt its closest relative was the little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) on account of plumage and skull similarities. [9] Using DNA-DNA hybridization in a 1987 study, Frederick Sheldon confirmed the white-faced heron was a member of the egret clade. [10]
The night herons are usually considered to have separated from the day herons (such as the great blue heron or the green heron). Various classifications recognize five subspecies, but little is known as to how much they are integrated together and how much their geographic range varies.
The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and also parts of Africa.It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn.