Waterbirds

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

The largest heron in North America, standing up to four feet tall with blue-gray plumage, a white face, and a bold black eye stripe. It hunts by standing motionless at the water's edge.

Current regional viewing notes

Shallow bays, tide flats, and estuary edges around Hoonah; frequently seen near the harbor and along Icy Strait beaches.

Dataset note: This legacy field can be specific to Southeast Alaska/Hoonah and is not a complete statewide range statement.

Habitat

Tidal flats, estuaries, shallow bays, rivers, and lakeshores.

Diet

Fish, crabs, shrimp, small mammals, amphibians, and insects.

Natural history note

Great Blue Herons can strike prey in the water at lightning speed — their S-shaped neck uncoils like a spring, spearing fish in a fraction of a second.