Great Blue Herron
One of the tallest birds you’ll see on a Space Coast River Tour is the Great Blue Herron. No small animal is safe when a Great Blue Herron is stalking nearby.
In addition to a steady diet of fish, the Great Blue Heron also eats mice, amphibians, and small reptiles.
During the Blue Dolphin’s cruise down the barge canal, you can usually spot at least one Great Blue Herron nest. The nests are usually high atop pine trees, lined with moss, pine needs, dry grass and twigs.
With a wingspan up to 5.9 feet and a height up to 3.9 feet, the Great Blue Herron is a photographer’s favorite. Features on the Great Blue Herron include a black plume extending from behind eye to off the back of the neck, with shaggy feathers on neck and back, and bluish gray back, wings, and belly, with a red or gray neck.
Brevard County serves as a year-round home for the Great Blue Herron; largest and most widespread heron in North America.
Common habitats for the Great Blue Herron include calm freshwater and seacoasts, with nests in trees in close proximity to the water. Colonies can be found away from water.
