This might be a bit of a stretch, but I am counting critters here that I have seen on this property or above it. I have seen one great blue heron (Ardea herodias) flying away from our property, and one on the neighbor’s house, gazing longingly at our koi pond. The photos here are not from my yard; they are from waterways around the area.
Our tiny koi pond somehow attracts herons, and we have to keep them out, or the fish will be gone. We hope they do not come to the yard. But they are spectacular birds, regardless.
I was motivated to list GBH as the critter of the day when I visited the Kenmore Park and Ride today and saw that the herons have returned to their rookery already for the 2026 breeding season.
This is a very widespread species with a range that includes North, Central, and parts of South America, the Caribbean, the Galapagos Islands, and the Azores. An all white version, known as the great white heron, is found in the Florida Keys. There are four other subspecies, as well, including the Pacific Northwest’s Ardea herodias fannini.
These largest of the local herons can be 36″ to 54″ long, 45″ to 54″ high, with a wingspan of 66″ to 79″. These are by far the largest birds around most of the time. These are majestic creatures until they open their beaks. They seem more like dinosaurs than any other local birds, and even their ridiculous squawking call brings pterodactyls to mind, though I have no idea what a pterodactyl really sounded like.
These big herons eat so many critters! Certainly fish is at the top of their menu, but they eat frogs, salamanders, snakes, lizards, turtles, rats, voles, gophers, rabbits and even other birds, such as ducks and rails!
Herons start their breeding behavior around here in December/January when they return to the rookeries, large trees where they place their communal nests. One benefit to their early start is that their breeding plumage materializes in the middle of winter, striking and bright against the gray Seattle weather. Rookeries can include up to 500 nests! They lay 3-6 eggs, usually by March or April. The eggs hatch after about 27 days. Male herons incubate the eggs in cooperation with the females.
These birds have few predators as adults, with eagles rarely taking them. The young and eggs are more vulnerable to other predators, including crows, ravens, vultures, hawks, and even black bears.
By planting more native flora around the neighborhoods, including near wetlands, we can improve the food webs that support great blue herons. We can also keep our waters healthy by not using chemicals in our yards and picking up our dog waste.