Great Blue Heron
Where to Look
- Coastlines
- Lagoons on Larger Islands
Related Galapagos Species
Striated (Lava) Heron
Identification
The only non-white heron of its size in the Galapagos.
Description
A large heron with long legs and an elongated, neck standing roughly 1.6m tall when fully grown. Adults have gray upperparts, pale yellow eyes, yellowish bills, a dark stripe running from above their eyes to behind their neck, white crowns and a white fore-neck decorated with black streaks. Juveniles are similar to adults, but have less colorfull bills and a grey crown.
Galapagos Distribution
Found throughout the main archipelago on shorelines, in mangroves and near shallow inland water bodies.
Global Distribution
Outside of the Galapagos, this species is found across most of North and Central America, the Carribean and North Colombia and Venezuela.
Status in the Galapagos
The endemic subspecies which occurs, A.h. cognata, is a common endemic resident. It is one of five subspecies world wide.