Great Blue Heron

The great "blue" heron is a large wading bird found in NA & Caribbean. There is a white variant found in Florida called great "white" heron. Debate exists between Floridian's & others whether the white is a color morph of the blue heron. Floridian birdies argue that white is a separate species. A heron is differentiated from a crane in flight. The crane's neck is straight and the heron's is always curved. Herons usually swallow their food in whole & are known to choke on prey that is too large. The first chick to hatch usually becomes more experienced in food handling and often grows more quickly than the other chicks. Herons are so plentiful in NA they are listed as a species of "least concern" Conservation Dept.