The Great Blue Heron is a very large bird, growing to over one metre in height. It has blue-grey body feathers, a white head, a yellow bill and a black stripe above each eye. Herons are colonial nesting birds, which means groups of them nest close together in a colony or heronry. Generally, they prefer to nest in high trees, 20 to 50 metres above the ground, where they are safe from most predators. The biggest threats to the Great Blue Heron are human development and disturbance, industrial development, and road construction. All of these factors are causing the destruction of the quiet wooded areas where Herons need to nest.
Human residential development is decreasing Heron nesting sites. And when the herons are disturbed, they leave their nests. This results in the vulnerable chicks being preyed upon by bald eagles. Industrial development and activity, particularly logging, do the same.
In British Columbia, the Great Blue Heron, its nests, and its eggs are protected under the province’s Wildlife Act.