Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
Overview
Description
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. An all-white population found in south Florida and the Florida Keys is known as the great white heron. Debate exists about whether these white birds are a color morph of the great blue heron, a subspecies of it, or an entirely separate species.1
Taxonomy
Pelecaniformes > Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) > Herons, Ibis, and Allies
Subspecies Seen: Great Blue Heron (Great Blue)
Sightings
Relevant Sightings
- 03-22-2023 - California, United States (First Sighting)
- 05-18-2024 - California, United States (First Photo)
- 12-01-2024 - California, United States (Best Photo)
- 06-08-2025 - California, United States (Last Sighting)
Places Seen
- Arizona, United States
- California, United States
- Washington, United States
Media
Photographs
Audio Recordings
No audio recordings available.