Great Blue Heron
 Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) is the largest and most
widely distributed heron in Canada. During the breeding and
post-breeding seasons it ventures as far north as Newfoundland and
Prince William Sound in Alaska and as far south as Mexico and the West
Indies. Herons leave most of Canada for the winter, the exception
being the British Columbia coast, where herons reside all year round. They also winter across the United States and south to Panama,
Colombia, and Venezuela.
Distinctive Features
On the ground, adult specimens stand over 1 metre in height. The
head is white with a black stripe on each side extending back from the
yellow eyes to slender black plumes. The back is greyish blue and the
breast is white streaked with black. In flight, the neck is doubled
back and the head rests against the shoulders. Herons in their first
year have grey crowns and grey wing flecked with brown.
Source: Hinterland's Wildlife
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