Shorebirds

Great Blue Heron

Animal Group: Shorebirds
Scientific Name: Ardea Herodias
Animal Average Size: 97–137 cm
Animal Average Weight: 2100 – 2500 g

Great Blue Heron Gallery

Galapagos Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) hunting a fish

Galapagos Great Blue Heron in Santiago Egas Port

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More about Great Blue Heron

The great blue heron is the most solitary and mysterious bird of the Galapagos. They are generally seen wading ashore pounds or ocean entries, spearing fish with their sharp beak.

This bird is native to the Galapagos and many other American regions. Their size is about 1.4m (4.5ft), one of the largest herons on the islands, living up to 15 years. It breeds at any time of the year and lays 2 to 6 eggs usually on mangrove branches or rocky patches, where they can be safe from predators. They incubate for about a month and two months later, chicks can survive on their own.

They are carnivores and feed mainly on small fish, but can also feed on crabs, rodents, insects, lizards, marine turtle hatchling, and other small birds. In the Galapagos they are rarely hunting birds; they usually fish in shallow water and prefer to do it at dawn or dusk.