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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut	White-necked Heron	Great Blue Heron
Nom scientifique	Ardea pacifica	Ardea herodias
Ordre	Pelecaniformes	Pelecaniformes
Famille	Ardeidae	Ardeidae
Statut de conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern
Longueur	—	117,0 cm (46.1 in)
Envergure	77,0 cm (30.3 in)	183,0 cm (72.0 in)
Poids	910,0 g (32.10 oz)	2400,0 g (84.66 oz)
Régime alimentaire	--	Primarily fish, also frogs, snakes, small mammals, insects, and other birds. Hunts by standing motionless …
Taille de la couvée	3-4	2-7
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

White-necked Heron —

Great Blue Heron 117,0 cm

Envergure

White-necked Heron 77,0 cm

Great Blue Heron 183,0 cm

Poids

White-necked Heron 910,0 g

Great Blue Heron 2400,0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

🌿 Wetland

White-necked Heron only

Aucun(e)

Great Blue Heron only

🌾 Grassland

Great Blue Heron

Wetlands of all types including marshes, swamps, riverbanks, lake edges, and coastal shores. Also hunts in fields and meadows.

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Song & Call Comparison

White-necked Heron

Great Blue Heron

Chant

Deep, harsh, croaking 'frahnk-frahnk' call in flight. Also gives low guttural grunts at the nest. Alarmed birds give repeated croaks. Mostly silent for such a large wader.

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Geographic Range & Migration

White-necked Heron

Great Blue Heron

North and Central America from Alaska and southern Canada to the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

White-necked Heron

Least Concern

Great Blue Heron

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How to Tell Them Apart

White-necked Heron

Great Blue Heron

Plumage

Blue-grey body with a white head bearing a broad black stripe extending to a long black plume. Rufous-brown thighs. In flight, the neck is folded into an S-shape.

Bec

Long, dagger-like yellowish bill

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About These Birds

White-necked Heron

Great Blue Heron

The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America, standing up to 1.4 meters tall. These patient hunters can stand motionless for extended periods before striking at prey with remarkable speed. They nest in large colonies called heronries, often returning to the same site year after year.

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