Great Blue Heron

The great blue heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to coastal Spain, the Azores, and areas of far southern Europe.

Conservation status: Least Concern (Population increasing)

Scientific name: Ardea herodias

Mass: 4.6 – 5.5 lbs

Length: 3.2 – 4.5 ft.

Wingspan: 5.5 to 6.6 feet

Family: Ardeidae

Kingdom: Animalia