Great Blue Heron
The largest heron in North America, the great blue is mostly grayish blue. Some of its body parts are more colourful: its eyes are yellow, its legs are green and its head is white. A black stripe marks each side of its head. A few shaggy black plumes stick out from its back. Great blues are Canada’s most widespread heron, from the Maritimes to British Columbia. There are probably tens of thousands in the country, although west coast populations may be at risk due to the area’s growing human population. Water and land are both necessary for this bird. Either salt or fresh water can serve as its fishing grounds, but the birds need islands or woody swamps nearby so they have a place to build their nests. The birds build one-metre-wide nests out of dry sticks, sometimes lining the bottom with pine needles or moss. More than 1,000 great blue herons nest each year on La Grande Île in Lac Saint-Pierre near Montréal.
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