What do great blue herons look like?
Great blue herons belong to the family Ardeidae, the order Ciconiformes. They are one of 22 species that breed in the Americas. Great blue herons are the best known of all the species and the most distinctive because of their size. They are often misidentified as sandhill cranes. These herons have elongated necks, legs, and bills. They are about 46 inches tall and have a wingspan of about 6 feet. They are bluish gray in color and have a black belly and white head with a black stripe along the sides of the crown. Their legs and feet are blackish. Great blue herons have dull, yellowish color bills that can stretch to 6 or more inches long. The bill has a sharp edge and is pointed much like a raptor’s bill.
