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
White-bellied Heron
Great Blue Heron
Canto
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
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Geographic Range & Migration
White-bellied Heron
Great Blue Heron
North and Central America from Alaska and southern Canada to the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands.
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Estado de conservação
Critically Endangered
White-bellied Heron
Least Concern
Great Blue Heron
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
White-bellied Heron
Great Blue Heron
Plumagem
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.
Bico
Long, dagger-like yellowish bill
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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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