Great blue herons nest in colonies, some of them with hundreds of nests. They breed and nest in fresh and salt water habitats that include marshes, beaver impoundments, wet meadows, estuaries, tidal flats, sandbars, shallow bays and the margins of lakes, ponds, streamsand rivers.
Great Blue Heron colonies generally become inactive within five years if they remain smaller than six nests, but they tend to persist, on average, for 12 or more years if they grow to more than 20 nests.
Great blue herons tend to build their nests at least 60 feet above the ground. They are such graceful and powerful fliers that they can gather large sticks and carry them up to 100 feet above the ground, forming a cradle for their eggs in treetops or at other raised sites.
These birds are commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions and they often
migrate during spring and summer when they are breeding. Great blue herons feed on just about anything, from fish to amphibians to mammals to birds, and they hunt by wading cartoonishly slowly into water and then nailing their prey with lightning-quick strikes.
Great blues deploy an elaborate repertoire of courtship displays, from stretch and snap displays to bill duels and twig shakes, and when they find a mate they tend to limit themselves to two or three of about 15 types of displays.
Great blue herons are sensitive to habitat loss and disturbance. For example, loss of nesting habitat, deterioration of water quality, and loss of wetlands can threaten herons.
Great blue herons
