The blue heron is a large wading bird found in many parts of North America. With its distinctive blue-gray plumage, elongated neck, and long legs, the blue heron is a familiar sight around ponds, marshes, and shorelines. If you’ve seen a tall, stately blue-gray bird standing motionless along the water’s edge, chances are it was a blue heron. But there are some other birds that, to an untrained eye, might look similar to a blue heron.
Great Blue Heron
The most common heron across North America is the great blue heron. As the name suggests, great blue herons are primarily blue-gray in color, with a white head and neck. The legs are yellowish and the bill is dagger-like and yellowish. Great blue herons stand about 4 feet tall, with a wingspan around 6 feet. They can be found year-round throughout most of the United States and Canada.
Great Egret
One bird that is sometimes confused with the great blue heron is the great egret. Great egrets look nearly identical to great blue herons in terms of size, shape, and habitat. But great egrets are snowy white in color, with black legs and a yellow bill. The best way to distinguish a great egret from a blue heron is by the color – if it’s all white, it’s a great egret.
Little Blue Heron
A smaller relative of the great blue heron is the little blue heron. As the name suggests, little blue herons are smaller, standing only around 2 feet tall, with a wingspan of 3 feet. Their plumage is pale blue-gray, somewhat lighter than a great blue heron. Little blue herons have greenish legs and a blackish bill with a blue base. The small size helps distinguish them from great blue herons.
Night Herons
There are two species of night herons in North America – the black-crowned night heron and the yellow-crowned night heron. As their names suggest, black-crowned night herons have a black cap and back contrasting with white below. Yellow-crowned night herons have a white head with a yellow crown stripe. Night herons have stockier bills and necks compared to blue herons. They also have reddish eyes. Night herons are most active at dawn and dusk.
Cattle Egrets
Cattle egrets are small white herons that associate closely with livestock. They have yellow bills and black legs. In breeding plumage, cattle egrets develop a reddish hue on the head, back, and breast. Cattle egrets forage in grassy fields, often running about on foot chasing insects stirred up by the livestock. Their active foraging behavior helps distinguish them from the more patiently stalking great egrets.
Green Heron
The green heron is a small heron with dark green-brown plumage on the head, neck, and chest, contrasting with a chestnut colored belly and sides. As its name suggests, the green heron’s coloring allows it blend in well with marsh vegetation. Green herons have shorter necks and more compact bodies compared to the great blue heron. Green herons are most often seen around small ponds and marshes or along shorelines.
Similarities in Size and Shape
One of the main reasons these birds can be easily confused is their similarities in size, shape, and behavior. All these herons and egrets share the same long-legged, long-necked body plan that allows for patient stalking and hunting of fish, amphibians, and other prey in shallow water. The differences come down to coloration, as well as small variations in proportions. But to the casual observer, they blend together into “tall blue birds standing near water.”
Bird | Size | Main Color(s) |
---|---|---|
Great Blue Heron | 3.5-4.5 ft tall | Blue-gray |
Great Egret | 3.5-4.5 ft tall | White |
Little Blue Heron | 2-2.5 ft tall | Blue-gray |
Night Herons | 2.5-3 ft tall | Black-crowned: black & white Yellow-crowned: white with yellow |
Cattle Egret | 1.5-2 ft tall | White with reddish hue |
Green Heron | 1-1.5 ft tall | Green-brown plumage |
Differences in Behavior and Habitat
In addition to visual differences, these birds have some differences in their preferred habitats and foraging behaviors that can aid in identification.
- Great blue herons and great egrets forage in a wide variety of wetlands – marshes, swamps, ponds, tidal flats.
- Little blue herons prefer more sheltered waters with some vegetation, such as swamps and marshes.
- Night herons forage at dawn and dusk, more active at night.
- Cattle egrets associate closely with livestock in fields.
- Green herons stay close to shores of small ponds and marshes.
Paying attention to location and activity, beyond just size and shape, can help correctly identify lookalike heron species.
Geographic Range
The geographic range where a bird is spotted can also be a helpful clue for identification. For example:
- Great egrets are rare along the US West Coast, so an all-white heron there is more likely a great blue heron.
- Yellow-crowned night herons do not range as far north as black-crowned night herons.
- Green herons and little blue herons have more limited ranges confined to eastern and southeastern states.
Consulting a bird guide or field guide app to know the expected ranges of each species can help avoid misidentifications.
Conclusion
While several birds may look similar to a blue heron at first glance, differences in size, proportions, coloration, behavior, habitat, and geographic range can help correctly identify them. Taking the time to observe carefully and note key characteristics will reveal the distinctions between great blue herons, great egrets, little blue herons, night herons, cattle egrets, green herons, and other long-legged wading birds. With practice, birders can quickly recognize the unique features of each species, even if they appear nearly identical when seen from afar.