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Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

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Family

Genus

Species

Regional

This bird has been reportedly found in the following regions:

Auburn, Alabama

Vincent, Alabama

Anthem, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

Logan Lake, British Columbia

Amesti, California

Canoga Park, California

Carlsbad, California

Corralitos, California

Danville, California(2 reports)

Elkhorn, California

Fort Bragg, California

Interlaken, California

Los Gatos, California

Martinez, California

Mission Viejo, California

Pajaro, California

San Diego, California(3 reports)

Watsonville, California

Apopka, Florida

Bartow, Florida

Big Pine Key, Florida

Clermont, Florida

Daytona Beach, Florida

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Naples, Florida

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Okeechobee, Florida

Winter Springs, Florida

Rutledge, Georgia

Stockbridge, Georgia

Algonquin, Illinois

Anna, Illinois

Batavia, Illinois

Chicago, Illinois

Edwardsville, Illinois

Geneva, Illinois

Hinsdale, Illinois

Oak Brook, Illinois

Schaumburg, Illinois

Westchester, Illinois

Coatesville, Indiana

Yale, Iowa

Barbourville, Kentucky

Cadiz, Kentucky

Crestwood, Kentucky

Melbourne, Kentucky

Covington, Louisiana

Bishopville, Maryland

Clinton, Maryland

Darlington, Maryland

Halifax, Massachusetts

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Constantine, Michigan

Dearborn, Michigan

Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Paw Paw, Michigan

Pigeon, Michigan

Sanford, Michigan

Traverse City, Michigan

Crosslake, Minnesota

Hamel, Minnesota

Saint Michael, Minnesota

Marietta, Mississippi

Conway, Missouri

Warner, New Hampshire

Hainesport, New Jersey

Elephant Butte, New Mexico

Croton On Hudson, New York

Himrod, New York

Panama, New York

Syracuse, New York

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Mooresville, North Carolina

Columbus, Ohio

Glenmont, Ohio

Millersburg, Ohio

Oak Harbor, Ohio

Bend, Oregon

Gold Hill, Oregon

Nehalem, Oregon

Downingtown, Pennsylvania

North Wales, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Murrells Inlet, South Carolina(2 reports)

Summerville, South Carolina

Wellford, South Carolina

Centerville, South Dakota

Elizabethton, Tennessee

Austin, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas(2 reports)

Houston, Texas

Keller, Texas

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Gate City, Virginia

Roanoke, Virginia

Walkerton, Virginia

Bow, Washington

Edison, Washington

Kennewick, Washington

Stanwood, Washington

Vancouver, Washington

Appleton, Wisconsin

Hartford, Wisconsin

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Gardener's Notes:

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11 positives 1 neutral 1 negative

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PriscillaKing

Gate City, VA | August 2018 | Positive

Thanks to efforts to preserve this species on the Chesapeake Bay, we now have resident families all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The birds are well liked but, if people want to keep fish outdoors, they need to provide water more than five feet deep, more than ten feet wide; otherwise herons will pick off the fish, one by one.

They like a lot of space when they're fishing, but flock together in trees or on sandbars at night. Birds this size are naturally messy; the nitrogen burn can kill a tree in a few years if a large heron family roost in it. Has anyone been able to preserve a "heronry" by regularly cleaning up the guano around the tree?

egcgardener

Edwardsville, IL | July 2018 | Positive

We have one who has visited our lake frequently for the past 4 summers. He very, very slowly walks in the shallow water at the edge of the lake and once in a while we see him grab a small fish. It's one of the small joys of living in the country.

papa1

Dearborn, MI (Zone 5b) | July 2018 | Positive

We often see these birds in a lagoon area near our home. We often take walks there. I was flabbergasted the first time I saw one of these huge birds fly up and roost way up in a tree! Another thing that amazes me is that their average weight is a mere 5.5 pounds.