Great Blue Herons are some of the largest and most impressive birds you will see spending time in Ocean Shores. In fact, they are the largest of their species in all of North America. When they are on the ground or in the water, they stand out among other birds and marine animals because of their height, which is amplified by their long necks and legs. When they take to the skies, they stand out with an incredible six foot wingspan, as well as unique body positioning where they hold their heads in towards their bodies with their necks bent. You could say that they are the “giants of the skies” in Ocean Shores. However, it is not only their size that makes Great Blue Herons stand out amongst the many birds that call Ocean Shores home. They also have a distinctive color scheme, featuring slate-gray bodies, along with black and chestnut colored accents. In addition, they have some unique bodily features. Adults sport shaggy ruffs at the base of their necks. They also have a black eyebrow, which reaches back to black plumes that emerge from their heads. Juveniles don’t have ruffs or plumes. Instead, they have a mottled neck and a dark crown.
Great Blue Herons are adaptable, which has allowed them to take up residence in a wide array of habitats. For example, they are known to inhabit sheltered, shallow bays and inlets, along with marshes, sloughs, and lakeshores. In Ocean Shores, this means that you may be more likely to see them in and around Duck Lake, in the marshland sections of the Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area, or in one of the city’s many canals. When the time comes to hunt for food, Great Blue Herons do so alone or in small groups. They often stand quietly in meadows or along lakeshores waiting for prey to come by. Once they do, they strike them with their bills. Sometimes, they will be more aggressive in perusing their prey by stalking them deliberately and slowly. While they mostly hunt by day, Great Blue Herons sometimes forage at night. Males tend to choose shoreline areas for foraging, while females and juveniles prefer hunting in upland areas. Their diets are variable, with fish, replies, amphibians, small mammals, and even other birds all being potential prey. In Washington State, Great Blue Herons do much of their winter hunting on land, with voles making up a significant portion of their cold weather diet.
Great Blue Herons usually breed in colonies. These colonies are normally found on islands, in mature forests, or near mudflats. They contain anywhere from a few pairs all the way up to several hundred pairs. The building of their nests typically start in February, which is when a male chooses a nesting territory and displays in order to attract a female. Their nests are most commonly located high up in trees. The males gather sticks for the females, who arrange them into a platform nest that is lined with strips of bark, small twigs, and conifer needles. A pair of Great Blue Herons will produce three to five eggs at a time, incubating them for about a month. Both parents regurgitate food for their young. The young grow up very quickly, making their first flights just two months after birth. They return to the nest and are fed by their parents for a few weeks after their first flights before setting out on their own. Pair bonds only last for one nesting season, and the adults have to form new bonds each year to continue reproducing.
Most of Washington’s breeding population of Great Blue Herons remains in the state year round because there is generally enough food to eat, even in the winter. That is because most of our state’s waterways, particularly on the west side of the Cascades, don’t freeze in the winter. In parts of eastern Washington where the water does freeze, Great Blue Herons spend their time along major rivers because they still have food available. They also go after rodents on land.
Reference: http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/great_blue_heron
© Ian D. Caldwell, July 2020