Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias (Linnaeus, 1758) 1230
Family: Ciconiiformes > Ardeidae

Great Blue Heron, Ruth Walker

A larger version of our Grey Heron, this is an extremely rare visitor from North America, where it is a very widespread and familiar bird.

Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Great Blue Heron

  • Breeding
  • Winter
131 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
131 records

BTO RECORDS

131 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
131 records

BTO RECORDS

Identification

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Status and Trends

Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.

CONSERVATION STATUS

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

POPULATION SIZE

We have no population estimates for this scarce species.

DISTRIBUTION

This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Great Blue Heron winter distribution 2008-11
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

DISTRIBUTION CHANGE

This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

Movement

Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

RINGING RECOVERIES

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information about Great Blue Heron, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING

Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.

CODES & CLASSIFICATION

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Catalan: bernat americà
Czech: volavka velká
Danish: Stor Blåhejre
Dutch: Amerikaanse Blauwe Reiger
Estonian: ameerika hallhaigur
Finnish: amerikanharmaahaikara
French: Grand Héron
German: Kanadareiher
Hungarian: királygém
Icelandic: Bláhegri
Italian: Airone azzurro
Latvian: Kanadas garnis
Lithuanian: didysis pilkasis garnys
Norwegian: Herodiashegre
Polish: czapla modra
Portuguese: garça-azul-grande / garça-real-americana
Slovak: volavka statná
Slovenian: ameriška siva caplja
Spanish: Garza azulada
Swedish: amerikansk gråhäger

Links to more information from ConservationEvidence.com

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