Jan 15, Bird Behavior: Observing Herons

by Filip Tkaczyk

The study of bird behavior is a rich and rewarding field, and can lead to very exciting wildlife encounters.

One of the most charismatic and beautiful group of birds are the herons.  These water-loving hunters demonstrate a wonderfully diverse range of behaviors when it comes to survival.  Some of the everyday behaviors exhibited by a heron may include hunting, grooming, social-interactions, thermoregulation and resting.

Hunting

Perhaps the most exciting bird behavior to observe is hunting.  The speed of a striking heron as it lunges forward to grab prey is really amazing.  So is their ability to stand extremely still for lengths of time as they stalk their prey.  Did you know that every heron species has its preferred hunting styles? Here are few styles you might observe and the species that typically do them:

Hunting meadows.  You might not think this is typical heron habitat, but great blue herons are often observed hunting voles in meadows with short grass, especially those near wetland areas.  They will stand by a vole runway and watch for movement, then strike with lightning speed and grab one of these fat little rodents.


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