Bobcats Eat Great Blue Herons?

Alejandra Corona

6th Grade student

Hawthorne Elementary in Boise

Did you know that Great Blue Herons mostly only eat diseased fish even though they will die shortly after?  Great Blue Heron from Idaho Fish and Game

Did you also know that despite their great size, the Great Blue Heron only weighs around 5-6 pounds because of their hollow bones? Well now you do! According to All About Birds by Cornell Labs, the Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias) is a very beautiful and large bird that is native to Idaho, but migrates away from their breeding grounds in the winter. You can find a Great Blue Heron in wetlands catching fish. 

Habitat

The Great Blue Heron lives in the United States of America in wetlands. The Great Blue Heron’s habitat is saltwater marshes, and freshwater with grasslands and agricultural fields. When it gets cold, some Great Blue Herons adapt to the cold weather to survive or they just try to catch fish. When it's time to migrate for Great Blue Herons they migrate to South Florida and the Pacific Northwest. You can find a Great Blue Heron in Idaho because they are native to Idaho, but they are not here all the time because of migration.

Diet

The Great Blue Heron mostly eats fish, small mammals, and other birds. This bird also eats reptiles, and amphibians, along with insects. The Great Blue Heron gets their food by standing still and attacking really fast so their food can’t escape. Bobcats eat Great Blue Herons despite their big size, but food is food am I right?

Characteristics

To identify a Great Blue Heron, look for specific markings such as, a blueish greyish coat on the top of their head, and a very light grey-white coat on the bottom. This bird is very big so they do not get preyed on often. When a Great Blue Heron is a baby, they are small and grey so they look very different from their parents. You can tell if a Great Blue Heron is a girl or boy by their size and mating behavior.

Behaviors

The Great Blue Heron has many interesting behaviors. For example, they move away from the Northern edge of their breeding range in the winter. Or how they get a mate! The female puts her head down to signal that she's interested in mating, then the  male gathers resources for her! They also defend themselves by acting big and loud like a human trying to “scare” off a bear! But they are pretty big so they don’t get preyed on often. These big birds sometimes breed in colonies and sometimes mix with other wadding birds. The nest is just a pile of sticks. They talk to each other by calling each other through this sound.

Despite their great size, great blue herons only weigh about 5-6 pounds because of their hollow bones! Great Blue Heron eBird

Threats to their environment 

The Great Blue Heron is not endangered and has little threats. However, traffic and motorboats do interrupt their nesting. Also chemicals like PCBs and DDTs pollute Herons' habitat and other newer chemicals do the same. So a way YOU (yes you) can help birds is by not polluting! Throw away your food in the compost and recycle, it helps more than you think!

About the Author

Alejandra is a 6th grader at Hawthorne Elementary in Boise. In her free time she likes to draw and listen to music.