Ten Cool Facts About the Great Blue Heron

1. Herons get their name from their grey-blue feathers.

2. The blue heron has an average wing span of two meters.

3. Their bill is normally a dull yellowish colour that changes briefly to orange at the start of the
    breeding season.

4. The call of the blue heron is a harsh croak. If they are disturbed they will shriek as they fly to
    a new perch. They sound very prehistoric.

5. Blue herons eat primarily fish as well as shrimp, crab, insects, rodents and other small
    creatures. They usually swallow their food whole and have been know to choke if their
    prey is too large.

6. Blue herons will nest in groups from 5 to 500 nests in one colony. A colony of herons is called
    a" heronry".

7. They lay three to six pale blue eggs and raise one brood per year.

8. Parents feed their young by regurgitating food into the chicks mouth.

9. A heron may abandon the nest if it is disturbed by humans.

10. Other predators include bald eagles, great horned owls, hawks, bears and racoons.