Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Spark Bird: Jerome Gaw at the Aquarium

March 16, 2023 When Jerome Gaw got the chance to volunteer at the Aquarium of the Pacific, he was stoked. He'd loved sharks and marine life since he was a kid. But for his interview, he had to give a presentation on a creature he wasn't familiar with: the Great Blue Heron. But he read up on the bird

A Heron Nest Starts with Just One Stick

February 23, 2023 During winter and early spring, Great Blue Herons build their nests high in the treetops. The male delivers the supplies to the nest site stick by stick, as the female arranges things. It’s the perfect childhood home for their young, made without blueprints, architects or engineers. But by

Great Blue Heron, Alone Again

January 29, 2023 Great Blue Herons nest in colonies, in adjoining trees or with several nests in one tree. But by autumn, the adults and gangly young have left the nests to take up solitary lives, a pattern that is the reverse of many other species. After all the "togetherness" of the nesting colonies, the

Powder Down

October 22, 2022 Hidden below the outer breast feathers of herons, pigeons, doves, tinamous, bustards and some parrots are patches of special down feathers. These feathers are never molted, and they grow continuously. The tips break down into a dust the consistency of talcum powder. Using a fringed claw on

Spark Bird: Ryan Mandelbaum and the Great Blue Heron

March 24, 2021 As a kid, science writer Ryan Mandelbaum avoided birds, thinking they were gross and kind of scary. But doing a video project in journalism school, Ryan had to search all over to get footage of a Great Blue Heron. When Ryan found one in its nest, they were shocked at how majestic and

Do Alligators Protect Herons?

May 18, 2020 Raccoons sometimes invade nesting colonies of herons, spoonbills, and other wading birds to eat their eggs and chicks. But some of these birds have found ways to deter the masked bandits. Researchers in the Everglades found wading birds including Great Blue Herons and Roseate Spoonbills

Regal Great Blue Heron

February 17, 2020 Tall and prehistoric-looking, the Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America. Great Blue Herons are often seen flying high overhead with slow wing-beats. When foraging, they stand silently along riverbanks, on lake shores, or in wet meadows. Quickly then, they stab at their

Great Blue Heron Meets T. Rex

February 5, 2020 The Great Blue Heron is tall and slender with a bill like a sword and the graceful, measured moves of a dancer. And it’s mostly quiet. But when this bird does make noise, it can be downright scary.

The Heron and the Snake

September 14, 2016 It's a rough world for a young Great Blue Heron. A mere one egg in ten results in an adult heron. Only a little more than 25% of fledglings survive their first year. Michael Hobbs witnessed a battle between a young heron and a snake. Successful foraging takes practice. In a trial-and-error

Tribute to Cynthia Lufkin 1962-2013

August 15, 2013 Today’s show is dedicated to Cynthia Lufkin, friend of BirdNote, birds, and places important to birds. The music was composed by BirdNote’s Nancy Rumbel, and performed by Nancy on oboe and Eric Tingstad on guitar. The words are drawn from Kentucky poet Wendell Berry’s memorial to a dear

Heron Habitat Helpers

June 19, 2012 In Seattle, in a secluded ravine just steps away from a busy ship canal, nearly 100 pairs of Great Blue Herons return each year to nest. A group of citizens called Heron Habitat Helpers has helped this colony thrive. Their president, John “Hooper” Havekotte, credits the founders, Donna