BEHOLD OUR STALKING WADERS – FLYING HIGH

ALWAYS READY FOR THE HUNT, READY TO STRUT

Birding in Grand Harbor is an utter delight. Compare the easy access it offers to tramping the woods of the Northeast or Midwest – squinting to spot a bird 50 feet above, hiding in a leafy tree. Here, our waterfowl and soaring raptors are good size and hardly require any effort to find.

Among the most prominent species in our sanctuary is the healthy host of Herons and Egrets.  You can’t miss them. They walk upright at a genial pace. Mostly large and plentiful, they come in a rich variety. It surprises new residents to learn that we have six different Herons and three types of Egrets. All are year-round and all nest here or nearby in roosts along the Indian River.

Nowhere north of South Florida can you see this wide collection of wading birds. Herons, to take them first, are solitary hunters even though they breed in colonies. They range in wingspans from 26 inches to six feet. A few species are somewhat secretive, but most can be termed people-friendly. Males and females are identical. Our six Herons:

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• Great Blue Heron – has the majesty of an aircraft carrier, 46 inches in length with a six-foot wingspan. Dominates a pond while feeding; other birds give way to this largest of Herons. A gray/blue body with strong yellow bill and an ornate black plume in breeding season. Small fish, frogs and snakes account for most of diet.

 

• Little Blue Heron – most importantly, does not grow to become a Great Blue. This is a distinct species, less than half the size of its cousin. Is bluer in color, with a blue/black bill and greenish legs. Odd because juveniles are completely white like an egret, with their slate-blue color coming as adults. Hoarse squawks can reveal the Little Blue in breeding season – really disturbs the peace. Eats small fish and aquatic insects.

 

• Tricolored Heron – at 26 inches in length, a trifle larger than Little Blue. Dark blue head and body feathers with a white breast and underbody; juvenile sports chestnut neck. A quiet stalker who hunts crustaceans and small fish; like all Herons avoids veggies in its diet. Dependent on water environments and has dwindled in numbers as habitats have been lost.

  

• Black-crowned Night Heron – 25 inches in length, nests in trees, forages mainly on ground. A nocturnal feeder in marshy areas, not as common as other herons. Roosts by day in trees, seldom seen in flight. A stocky heron with short neck and legs. Mix of gray and white with black head plume. Has loud, croaking call.

 

• Yellow-crowned Night Heron – 24 inches in length and more common than Black-crowned. Has a slightly yellowish plume and is colored mainly gray with a dashing black mask. Fond of crustaceans; in the Chesapeake enjoys crabs. Partial to mangroves and wetlands, hunts by night. Has a harsh crow-like “caw” call.

 

• Green Heron – at 18-20 inches, our smallest heron. Dark green crest with russet body. In flight, appears awkward while holding short neck upright – not stretched out like other herons. Feeds on small amphibians at water’s edge. Prefers more protected reedy areas for nesting. Blurts out a raspy “skew-y” when startled.

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Then, we have three quite common and rather quiet Egrets:

• Great Egret – all white with a yellow bill. At 39 inches, smaller than the Great Blue Heron, and skinnier. Impressive in flight with a 4 ½ - foot wingspan. Tall and stately, it quietly moves through wetlands and shallow ponds looking to spear fish, crayfish and insects. Once hunted to near extinction for its prized feathers.

 

• Snowy Egret – an elegant, wispy bird. Measures 26 inches, all white. Has black bill and legs with bright yellow feet (opposite of Cattle Egret). Often travels in small groups; nests in lower bushes usually with other egrets. Also hunted to near extinction in the late 1800s. Diet made up of fish and other aquatics.

 

• Cattle Egret -- small 20-inch long, stocky heron. Has distinctive orange/yellow bill and all-white body and dark legs. Not native to New World; came to South America from Africa in 1880s, then to Florida in 1950s – now widespread along US coastlines. Feeds on insects both in fields and near water. When breeding, adorned with orange plumes and neck feathers.

 

Grand Harbor also has a good supply of closely related Bitterns, Ibises and Storks – but they don’t go by Heron or Egret names. Many behaviors and feeding habits are similar.

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