Great blue heron Ardea herodias

Identification Tips:

• Length: 38 inches Wingspan: 70 inches
• Sexes similar
• Huge long-legged long-necked wader
• Usually holds neck in an "S" curve at rest and in flight 
• Long, thick, yellow bill 

Adult: 

• White crown and face 
• Black plume extending from above and behind eye to beyond back of head 
• Brownish-buff neck with black-bordered white stripe down center of foreneck 
• Blue-gray back, wings and belly 
• Black shoulder 
• Shaggy neck and back plumes in alternate plumage 

Immature: 

• Black cap 
• Brownish-gray back and upperwings 
• Lacks shaggy neck and back plumes 
• Lacks black plume extending from behind eye 

"Great White Heron":

• White morph of Great Blue Heron
• Large yellow bill 
• Yellow legs
• White plumage
• Single white plume extending back from above eye 
• Found only in South Florida, rarely north along the coast 

Similar species: 

• Tri-colored Heron has white belly. Reddish Egret and Little Blue Heron are smaller, and lack white on head and yellow in bill. "Great White Heron" could be confused with Great Egret but is larger, with yellow legs and the single head plume coming from behind the eye. 
• Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.