#ardeidae

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

©Beth Poole

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

©Sandy & Bob Sipe

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

©Gary Warner

Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens)

©Kisa Weeman

Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)

©Neil Owens

Great egret (Ardea alba) in breeding plumage at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Flordia, U.S.

Pedro Lastra

Nycticorax nycticorax byJohn Tomsett

Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias

The Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias (Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae), is the largest of the North American herons. Though very common and widespread from Canada to north of South America, find these herons is always a majestic sight, specially when they mate, such as this male displaying.

Displays include stretching neck up with bill pointing skyward, flying in circles above colony with neck extended, stretching neck forward with head and neck feathers erected and then snapping bill shut.

Despite their impressive size (up to 137 cm in length and up to 201 cm in wingspan), Great Blue Herons weigh only 5 to 6 pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones (a feature all birds share).

References: [1] - [2]

Photo credit: ©Ryan Bennett | Locality: Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Delray Beach, Florida, US (2007)

Green Heron with turtles
Presque Isle State Park, Pennsylvania, USA

lychens:

Great blue heron (Ardea herodias)

source

A handful of herons

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

©Shannon O'Shea Wildlife Photography