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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut	Great Blue Heron	Whistling Heron
Nom scientifique	Ardea herodias	Syrigma sibilatrix
Ordre	Pelecaniformes	Pelecaniformes
Famille	Ardeidae	Ardeidae
Statut de conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern
Longueur	117,0 cm (46.1 in)	—
Envergure	183,0 cm (72.0 in)	58,0 cm (22.8 in)
Poids	2400,0 g (84.66 oz)	462,5 g (16.31 oz)
Régime alimentaire	Primarily fish, also frogs, snakes, small mammals, insects, and other birds. Hunts by standing motionless …	--
Taille de la couvée	2-7	3-4
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Great Blue Heron 117,0 cm

Whistling Heron —

Envergure

Great Blue Heron 183,0 cm

Whistling Heron 58,0 cm

Poids

Great Blue Heron 2400,0 g

Whistling Heron 462,5 g

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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

🌿 Wetland 🌾 Grassland

Great Blue Heron only

Aucun(e)

Whistling Heron only

Aucun(e)

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

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.

Whistling Heron

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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.

Whistling Heron

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Great Blue Heron

Least Concern

Whistling Heron

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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

Whistling Heron

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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.

Whistling Heron

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