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
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Song & Call Comparison
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.
White-eared Night Heron
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Geographic Range & Migration
Great Blue Heron
North and Central America from Alaska and southern Canada to the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands.
White-eared Night Heron
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Statut de conservation
Least Concern
Great Blue Heron
Endangered
White-eared Night Heron
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
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
White-eared Night Heron
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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