Feathers from the blue heron were highly prized in fly tying for their long barbules and heavily used in Spey and Dee patterns like the “Lady Caroline “. They are very difficult to obtain and are illegal to possess in many countries. A common substitute is Blue Eared Pheasant.
The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird native to North and Central America, as well as parts of South America and the Caribbean. Notably, there’s a debated all-white population in south Florida called the great white heron, raising questions about its relation to the great blue heron.
This heron is the largest native heron in North America, with males slightly larger than females. It has distinct features such as slaty flight feathers, red-brown thighs, and a red-brown and black stripe along the flanks. The neck is rusty-gray, with streaks, and the head is paler with a nearly white face. Immature birds are duller in color.
In terms of measurements, it has a head-to-tail length of 91–137 cm, a wingspan of 167–201 cm, a height of 115–138 cm, and a weight of 1.82–3.6 kg. The heron exhibits a minor degree of sexual dimorphism.
There’s a white morph of the great blue heron found in South Florida, known as the great white heron. It differs in bill morphology, head plume length, and lacks pigment in its plumage.
The theory that great white herons may be a separate species (A. occidentalis) from the great blue heron has some support.
Similar species include the great egret, reddish egret, little blue heron, and cocoi heron. The grey heron is sometimes confused, but it has soft-gray neck plumage. The great blue heron is occasionally misidentified as a crane, but it can be differentiated by its curved neck in flight.
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