Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758
Great blue heron
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Family:  Ardeidae ()
Max. size:  130 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  others; freshwater; brackish; marine
Distribution:  Northeast Pacific: Canada.
Diagnosis:  Eagle-sized wingspan; grey-blue plumage; long, dagger-like yellow-bill; red thighs (Ref. 94965).
Biology:  Dependent on healthy, uncontaminated coastal wetlands and estuaries for feeding. Wades in shallow water whilst foraging. Forms colonies. Piscivorous. In Florida Bay, natural feeding supplemented by "panhandling" association with humans where they feed on bait fish from locals and developed begging behavior from residents. In Stanley Park Zoo in Vancouver, British Columbia, a large colony is able to persist in close proximity to human activities for over 78 years. In Florida Bay, population decline of 30-40% due to hurricanes were linked to nesting and foraging habitat degradation (Ref. 87784).
IUCN Red List Status: (LC); Date assessed: 13 August 2020 Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 

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