Swamp Things BioBlitz Spotlight Species #3

Spotlight Species #3:
Great blue heron (Ardea herodias)

What to Look For:
Great blue herons are tall birds with long necks. They are typically grayish-blue in color overall. They have a long orange-yellow bill and a black crown. Individual great blue herons have unique colorations. You might even recognize your local great blue from its distinct markings.

Where to Find It:
Great blue herons are found on shorelines, riverbanks, and the edges of swamps, marshes, estuaries, and ponds. In the air, they have slow wing beats with a large wingspan.

Why It Is a Spotlight Species:
Great blue herons rely on our waterways for food. They fish in the shallows of rivers and swamps using their beak to spear or grab their prey. These birds are at home in our swamps throughout the Waccamaw River watershed.

Great blue herons are one of the greatest swamp things around.

Posted on 05 de março de 2023, 02:23 AM by waccamaw_riverkeeper