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Great Blue Heron
(Ardea herodias)

Photographer: Mike Dunn
Seasons in Walnut Creek: Year-round resident
Key Field Marks:
- Up to 54 inches tall with wing span of 4 to 6 feet
- Head white with blue top
- Wings are blue along edges and on tip, and somewhat white on the underside
Key Behaviors:
- Mostly solitary, except near nesting colonies
- Stalks and spears fish, tadpoles, and frogs in shallow waters
Habit and Range:
- Near water: on coast or inland near swamps, lakes, rivers and streams
Walnut Creek Sighting: Multiple sightings of birds in flight and tracks in the sand near the intersection of Little Rock Creek and Walnut Creek.

This page prepared by 8th grader Will B.
Exploris Middle School - Spring 2008