|
Description:
54"-70" (137-178 cm). The adult has a white head with the sides of the
crown and nape black. Short black plumes project to the rear. Neck light gray with a light
rufous wash. White ventral neck stripe. Large yellowish bill. Blue-gray body with dark
legs.
Habitat: Freshwater and brackish marshes, rivers, lakes, and
swamps.
Diet:
Mostly fish, small mammals, and young birds.
Nesting: A large flat nest made of interwoven sticks normally
found high in trees. Three to five pale bluish-green eggs found in the nest lined with
twigs and leaves. Mostly found in communal colonies of nests called rookeries.
Range: Heron rookeries are very sensitive
to disturbance, some localities that used to support Great Blue Herons are
now unoccupied. Throughout the year this bird can be found throughout
Kern County, valleys, mountains and desert, where ever water is found.
Status: An common year-round
resident, the Great Blue Heron is a California Species of Concern. This means the
California Department of Fish and Game has determined that the Great Blue Heron's numbers
are dwindling.
Comments:
A large bird that stands still attempting to avoid detection, the
Great Blue Heron fools no one. A few years ago, I observed an adult near the
west end of Buena Vista Lake attempting to eat a large fish that was as long as the birds
neck. Apparently, humans aren't the only ones with eyes bigger than their stomachs.
|
