# Great Blue Heron (*Ardea herodias*)

The great blue heron (*Ardea herodias*) is a bird of the family Ardeidae, in the order Pelecaniformes.

> The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is the largest heron in North America, standing tall in marshes, rivers and coasts from Canada to Central America. It is 97–137 cm long, weighs about 2.1–2.5 kg and spears fish with a quick strike of its dagger-like bill. Most live around 15 years. It is common, increasing and listed as Least Concern.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Least Concern
- **Range:** North and Central America and the Caribbean, with a population on the Galápagos Islands; northern birds winter south to northern South America.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-blue-heron/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Pelecaniformes
- **Family:** Ardeidae
- **Genus:** Ardea

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Ardea herodias |
| Diet | Mostly fish; also frogs, small mammals, insects and birds |
| Habitat | Marshes, lakes, rivers, estuaries and coasts |
| Length | 97–137 cm (38–54 in) |
| Weight | 2.1–2.5 kg |
| Lifespan | Usually about 15 years; oldest known wild bird 23 |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020) |

## Patient hunter

A great blue heron hunts by standing still or wading slowly in shallow water, then striking with its neck at lightning speed. Fish are the main prey, swallowed head first, but it also takes frogs, crayfish, snakes, voles and even ducklings. It hunts by day and, thanks to good night vision, often at dusk and after dark.

## Identification

It is mostly blue-grey with a white face, a black stripe above the eye that ends in plumes, and a heavy yellowish bill. In flight it tucks its neck into an S-shape and trails its legs behind. In southern Florida and the Caribbean an all-white form, the 'great white heron', also occurs.

## Colonies and nests

Great blue herons usually nest in colonies, called heronries or rookeries, building platforms of sticks high in trees near water. Some colonies hold hundreds of nests. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks, and more than half of young birds die in their first year.

## Range and status

The species breeds across much of North America and Central America and on the Galápagos Islands, with northern birds moving south in winter. BirdLife International lists it as Least Concern (2020), estimates between 500,000 and 5 million mature birds, and reports an increasing trend.

## Frequently asked questions

### How big is a great blue heron?

It is 97–137 cm long and weighs about 2.1–2.5 kg, making it the largest heron in North America.

### What does a great blue heron eat?

Mostly fish, plus frogs, crayfish, insects, snakes, small mammals and occasionally birds.

### Is the great blue heron the same as the grey heron?

No. They are close relatives that look alike. The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) lives in Europe, Asia and Africa and is smaller; the great blue heron lives in the Americas.

### How long do great blue herons live?

Most live around 15 years. The oldest known wild bird was 23 years old.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/great-blue-heron-ardea-herodias)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Ardea herodias. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ardea_herodias/)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Great Blue Heron

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-blue-heron/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.