Tricolored Heron vs Great Blue Heron

Egretta tricolor comparé à Ardea herodias

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Tricolored Heron Great Blue Heron
Nom scientifique Egretta tricolor Ardea herodias
Ordre Pelecaniformes Pelecaniformes
Famille Ardeidae Ardeidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur 117,0 cm (46.1 in)
Envergure 49,8 cm (19.6 in) 183,0 cm (72.0 in)
Poids 317,0 g (11.18 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 3-5 2-7
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
Tricolored Heron
Great Blue Heron 117,0 cm
Envergure
Tricolored Heron 49,8 cm
Great Blue Heron 183,0 cm
Poids
Tricolored Heron 317,0 g
Great Blue Heron 2400,0 g

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Tricolored Heron only

Great Blue Heron only

Great Blue Heron

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

Song & Call Comparison

Tricolored 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.

Geographic Range & Migration

Tricolored Heron

Great Blue Heron

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

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Tricolored Heron

Least Concern

Great Blue Heron

How to Tell Them Apart

Tricolored 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

About These Birds

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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