Heron ID

November 11, 2015 8:12 PM

Can anyone identify this specific species of heron?
posted by sindark to Science & Nature (7 answers total)

I am no expert, but that looks like an ordinary Great Blue Heron to me. They can get pretty muddy at times which can make them look less... blue.
posted by bibliotropic at 8:20 PM on November 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

Yep, Great Blue...I see them pretty much daily.
posted by HuronBob at 8:54 PM on November 11, 2015

Agreed, Great Blue Heron.
posted by gingerbeer at 10:03 PM on November 11, 2015

That's totally a great blue heron. Sorry, I know four people already beat me to it, but I've been getting into birding and I was proud that I knew a bird without having to look it up...
posted by teponaztli at 1:34 AM on November 12, 2015 [3 favorites]

Best answer: For heron species in North America, size is pretty much diagnostic; every other North American heron species is a good deal smaller. So unless this heron was a good deal smaller than a Great Blue Heron, it was a Great Blue Heron.

Also: assuming that the picture was taken in or near Toronto (as the Flickr page implies), the only other herons in the area are the Green Heron and the Black-Crowned Night Heron. Neither one is likely to be mistaken for a Great Blue Heron.
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:53 AM on November 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

Definitely a Great Blue Heron.

It's my cousin Dave.
posted by Herodios at 8:40 AM on November 12, 2015 [2 favorites]

Great Blue Heron.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:05 AM on November 12, 2015