When do great blue herons nest

To answer that, one must consider what else is nearby. Waterfowl in winter also provide the eagles a cleansing of the palate. Vennesland says a bald eagle nest there fell from its tree in , and when its owners rebuilt in , sure enough, the herons followed. Earlier research at the same site showed that for herons, average reproductive success was 1.

This post appears courtesy of Hakai Magazine. Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic. Popular Latest. The Atlantic Crossword. According to Kent McFarland, a biologist with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies , most heron rookeries in the state are small, with two to three nests, and are located in beaver swamps with big standing dead trees. Many colonies are ephemeral. When the nesting trees fall down or the beavers move on, the herons leave, following the beavers.

Herons usually breed in colonies, explained McFarland, because their preferred nesting habitat tends to be clumped. Good nesting trees with easy access to food are limited, so even at a successful nesting site, herons may have to fly a couple of miles to catch sufficient prey. Another advantage to colony nesting is that there is safety in numbers; there are more eyes to detect predators.

The colony may also function as an information center for finding food. One researcher found that herons that followed their neighbors caught more fish than solitary feeders. The rookery also serves as an assembly site for mating. Herons are mostly monogamous during a breeding season, but choose new mates every year. Male great blues return from southern wintering grounds first, arriving at colonies in mid to late March. They settle on nest sites and court the later-arriving females from there, with elaborate displays performed by both sexes.

Herons mainly nest in trees, but will also nest on the ground, on cliffs, in bushes, and on man-made structures such as duck blinds or nest platforms. The male collects much of the nesting material, gathering sticks and presenting them to the female. Photo gallery. Feeding Behavior Forages mostly by standing still or walking very slowly in shallow water, waiting for fish to swim near, then striking with rapid thrust of bill. Eggs , sometimes Young Both parents feed young, by regurgitation.

Diet Highly variable and adaptable. Nesting Breeds in colonies, often of this species alone, sometimes mixed with other wading birds; rarely in isolated pairs. Climate threats facing the Great Blue Heron Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases.

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