Saturday 8 October 2022

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Ardea ("Heron") herodias ("heron")

Adult Great Blue Heron (subspecies A. h. herodias)  at Berkeley, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Ardea herodias herodias
Weight: 1.82-3.6kg  /  Length: 91-137cm  /  Wingspan: 167-201cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The New World equivalent of the Grey Heron - but is a somewhat larger and heavier seeming bird, although their is some slight overlap in this range. They also have rust-red coloration in patches around their body, including the feathers on their legs and patches on their neck and face. They do however both fulfil the niche of the standard large heron species found on their respective continents and thus can be found in similar habitats.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Ardea
SUBSPECIES: A. h. fannini, A. h. herodias, A. h. wardi, A. h. occidentalis, A. h. cognata

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

Found throughout the Lower 48 and Southern Alaska
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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