Heron Identification

The heron family is so incredibly diverse that it is often hard for bird watchers to believe that the various birds it contains are related to one another. One important bird identification tip for birders is that herons stand in water or on a bank, but cranes tend to stand in marshes or in dry fields. The Great Blue Heron lays three to seven blue/green eggs in a nest made of sticks and the birds live together in colonies.

Another member of the heron family worth knowing is the Green Heron. It is a crow-sized bird with a black crown, green back and wings, and a dusty magenta-colored neck. It has a large dark bill and bright orange legs. This bird is present along the Pacific coast and in the eastern United States. Its vivid and complex coloration would lead a bird watcher to believe they were viewing a tropical bird.

You will want to be sure to take along your bird watching binoculars when bird watching for herons. They are extraordinary birds.