Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias Key Ring

The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in America and is common even into southern Canada. There is a white white variant that is found in Florida, the Great White Heron (not the same as the Great Egret), and there is ongoing discussion that it could be a separate species. These big birds, with their long legs, are often seen standing in water, waiting for an unsuspecting fish or frog to happen by. Their diet consists of almost everything that moves be it mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish, or even insect. They are solitary feeders. It is found in wetlands and at open water, fresh and salt, and usually nests in trees close to a water source. They nest in a group of Great Blue Herons called a "heronry". The messy nests are built of sticks. They nest once a year and lay from 3 to 6 eggs, pale blue in colour. This photo was taken October 11, 2011, in Montgomery County, PA. For more details on these impressive birds, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blue_Heron http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id