Blue Heron with a Snake in its Bill

by Jeff Goulden

Title

Blue Heron with a Snake in its Bill

Artist

Jeff Goulden

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird common near open water and wetlands in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is the largest of the heron family native to North America. Blue herons are distinguished by slate-blue colored flight feathers, long legs and a long neck which is curved in flight. The face and head are white with black stripes. The long-pointed bill is a dull yellow. The great blue heron is found throughout most of North America from Alaska through Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. East of the Rocky Mountains herons are migratory and winter in the coastal areas of the Southern United States, Central America, or northern South America. Great blue herons thrive in almost any wetland habitat and rarely venture far from the water. The blue heron spends most of its waking hours hunting for food. The primary food in their diet is small fish. It is also known to feed opportunistically on other small prey such as shrimp, crabs, aquatic insects, rodents, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Herons hunt for their food and locate it by sight. Their long legs allow them to feed in deeper waters than other waders are able to. The common hunting technique is to wade slowly through the water and spear their prey with their long, sharp bill. They usually swallow their catch whole. The great blue heron breeds in colonies called rookeries, located close to lakes and wetlands. They build their large nests high up in the trees. This heron was patiently hunting when he eventually came up with a wriggling snake. After catching the snake he didn't seem to know what to do with it. He eventually left the scene with the snake in his bill. This heron was photographed at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge near Olympia, Washington State, USA.

Uploaded

January 8th, 2015

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