Great Blue Heron

Fun Facts:

• Great Blue Herons have an enormous 6-foot wingspan.
• Both parents will take turns incubating the eggs for periods of 4 weeks.
• Herons are very tall, between 38-54 inches, which makes them taller than the average first grader.
• They tend to live around 15 years in the wild yet they’ve been known to live over 20 years in captivity.

This Great Blue Heron has caught an alligator lizard, which it will swallow whole. Great Blues eat primarily fish, but also eat small rodents, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and insects. When hunting, they stand still or step v-e-r-y slowly forward. But when they strike, they stab their bill and neck forward with lightning speed. They visit Rose Canyon and Marian Bear Parks to hunt for gophers and lizards. Rose Canyon and San Clemente Canyon (Marian Bear Park) form the Rose Creek watershed. Rain and urban runoff flow into these canyons, then south via Rose Creek into Mission Bay. Keeping the watershed clean and preserving its remaining undeveloped land helps wildlife and keeps Mission Bay healthy for swimming and kayaking.