Eric Gofreed
Well-Known Member
It’s Winged Wednesday, where feathers, flutters, and flight steal the show! Whether they’re zipping, swooping, sunbathing, or just striking a sassy pose, we want to see your favorite winged wonders. Birds, bugs, bats, or butterflies—if it’s got wings, it’s fair game!
This week, I am contributing a photos of the most graceful of the waders: the heron. These long-legged waders are found on every continent except Antarctica, thriving in freshwater and coastal habitats worldwide. Known for their elegant form and patient hunting style, herons are instantly recognizable by their slender bodies, dagger-like bills, and long necks that fold into an S-curve, especially noticeable in flight. Built for stealth, they wait motionless for the perfect moment to strike, often feeding on fish, frogs, and insects just beneath the surface. Some species, like the Great Blue Heron, are remarkably adaptable and even migrate as far as the fringes of the Arctic during the summer months, taking full advantage of the brief but bountiful season before heading south again. Next week, nuthatches!
The Great Blue Heron: Patient Predator, Master of the Marsh
The largest heron in North America, the Great Blue is a stealthy hunter—graceful and still, then lightning-fast when it strikes. I’ve watched them catch everything from tiny minnows to fish so big I thought they couldn’t be swallowed. This one proved me wrong. Somehow, it always does.
“Too big to swallow,” it must be
I gulped and grinned, “Not for me.”
Great Blue Herons can launch straight into flight from trees, rocks, or still water with a powerful wingbeat—but when space allows, they often sprint across the surface to gain momentum. This photo captures a dramatic moment: legs churning, wings poised, and liftoff just heartbeats away. It’s a glimpse of their sheer power and grace in motion.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron: The Crab Catcher of Twilight
Unlike the Great Blue Heron, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron prefers the night shift—sneaking out at dusk to snack mostly on crabs and crayfish. With a shorter neck, brighter crown, and large, glowing orange eyes perfectly suited for low light, this heron’s hunting style is all about stealth and quick strikes in muddy marshes. The Yellow-crowned's range is limited to warmer southern spots, from the U.S. Gulf Coast down through the Caribbean. Nighttime is when this crowned king shines.
-
Black-crowned Night Heron: The Quiet Night Hunter:
With a sleek black cap and stocky build, the Black-crowned Night Heron prowls freshwater habitats across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its sharp red eyes and patient night hunting make it a true stealth master. But even the best slip up! This heron tried to snag a hefty carp, and ended up soaking wet and awkward. Its sturdy legs and wide toes help it walk marshes, but they’re no good for gripping slippery fish. Without sharp talons like raptors, it relies on its beak, so this slippery catch got away!
Little Blue Heron: The Graceful Shadow of the Marsh
The Little Blue Heron wears smooth slate-blue plumage that blends perfectly with the watery shadows of marshes and swamps. Much smaller than its Great Blue cousin, it hunts patiently along shallow edges, taking slow, deliberate steps to sneak up on fish, frogs, and crustaceans. This photo captures a perfect reflection and an extended neck as the heron zeroes in on its next meal.
Juvenile Little Blue Herons are white for their first year, a surprising start for a bird named for its adult plumage. This white coloring isn’t random—it helps them blend in with flocks of Snowy Egrets, offering safety from predators and better access to food stirred up by the more active egrets. As they mature, they gradually molt into their signature slate-blue feathers, often passing through a patchy mix of white and blue along the way.
Tricolored Heron: The Agile Artist of the Wetlands
About the size of the Little Blue Heron, the Tricolored is known for its lively, dynamic hunting style. Unlike the patient stillness of other herons, it moves quickly and gracefully through shallow waters, using rapid stabbing and chasing motions to catch fish and crustaceans. Found mainly along the Gulf Coast, southeastern U.S., and parts of Central and South America, its vibrant plumage and energetic behavior make it a true wetlands showstopper.
Wood Stork: A Distinct Wader with Social Habits
Unlike herons, Wood Storks fly with their necks outstretched and rely on massive bills to forage by touch, not sight. In shallow wetlands, they may shuffle their feet, sway or “dance” in the water, and tug at vegetation to stir up prey. With their bills held slightly open just beneath the surface, they snap them shut the instant a fish or crustacean makes contact. Long legs and partially webbed toes help them wade steadily through soft, muddy ground. And since they lack a voice box (syrinx), Wood Storks communicate through bill clattering rather than vocal calls. Found in the southeastern U.S., Central, and South America, their tactile feeding style and social nesting habits set them apart from their more solitary, sight-hunting heron cousins.
This week, I am contributing a photos of the most graceful of the waders: the heron. These long-legged waders are found on every continent except Antarctica, thriving in freshwater and coastal habitats worldwide. Known for their elegant form and patient hunting style, herons are instantly recognizable by their slender bodies, dagger-like bills, and long necks that fold into an S-curve, especially noticeable in flight. Built for stealth, they wait motionless for the perfect moment to strike, often feeding on fish, frogs, and insects just beneath the surface. Some species, like the Great Blue Heron, are remarkably adaptable and even migrate as far as the fringes of the Arctic during the summer months, taking full advantage of the brief but bountiful season before heading south again. Next week, nuthatches!
The Great Blue Heron: Patient Predator, Master of the Marsh
The largest heron in North America, the Great Blue is a stealthy hunter—graceful and still, then lightning-fast when it strikes. I’ve watched them catch everything from tiny minnows to fish so big I thought they couldn’t be swallowed. This one proved me wrong. Somehow, it always does.
“Too big to swallow,” it must be
I gulped and grinned, “Not for me.”
Great Blue Herons can launch straight into flight from trees, rocks, or still water with a powerful wingbeat—but when space allows, they often sprint across the surface to gain momentum. This photo captures a dramatic moment: legs churning, wings poised, and liftoff just heartbeats away. It’s a glimpse of their sheer power and grace in motion.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron: The Crab Catcher of Twilight
Unlike the Great Blue Heron, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron prefers the night shift—sneaking out at dusk to snack mostly on crabs and crayfish. With a shorter neck, brighter crown, and large, glowing orange eyes perfectly suited for low light, this heron’s hunting style is all about stealth and quick strikes in muddy marshes. The Yellow-crowned's range is limited to warmer southern spots, from the U.S. Gulf Coast down through the Caribbean. Nighttime is when this crowned king shines.
Black-crowned Night Heron: The Quiet Night Hunter:
With a sleek black cap and stocky build, the Black-crowned Night Heron prowls freshwater habitats across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its sharp red eyes and patient night hunting make it a true stealth master. But even the best slip up! This heron tried to snag a hefty carp, and ended up soaking wet and awkward. Its sturdy legs and wide toes help it walk marshes, but they’re no good for gripping slippery fish. Without sharp talons like raptors, it relies on its beak, so this slippery catch got away!
Little Blue Heron: The Graceful Shadow of the Marsh
The Little Blue Heron wears smooth slate-blue plumage that blends perfectly with the watery shadows of marshes and swamps. Much smaller than its Great Blue cousin, it hunts patiently along shallow edges, taking slow, deliberate steps to sneak up on fish, frogs, and crustaceans. This photo captures a perfect reflection and an extended neck as the heron zeroes in on its next meal.
Juvenile Little Blue Herons are white for their first year, a surprising start for a bird named for its adult plumage. This white coloring isn’t random—it helps them blend in with flocks of Snowy Egrets, offering safety from predators and better access to food stirred up by the more active egrets. As they mature, they gradually molt into their signature slate-blue feathers, often passing through a patchy mix of white and blue along the way.
Tricolored Heron: The Agile Artist of the Wetlands
About the size of the Little Blue Heron, the Tricolored is known for its lively, dynamic hunting style. Unlike the patient stillness of other herons, it moves quickly and gracefully through shallow waters, using rapid stabbing and chasing motions to catch fish and crustaceans. Found mainly along the Gulf Coast, southeastern U.S., and parts of Central and South America, its vibrant plumage and energetic behavior make it a true wetlands showstopper.
Wood Stork: A Distinct Wader with Social Habits
Unlike herons, Wood Storks fly with their necks outstretched and rely on massive bills to forage by touch, not sight. In shallow wetlands, they may shuffle their feet, sway or “dance” in the water, and tug at vegetation to stir up prey. With their bills held slightly open just beneath the surface, they snap them shut the instant a fish or crustacean makes contact. Long legs and partially webbed toes help them wade steadily through soft, muddy ground. And since they lack a voice box (syrinx), Wood Storks communicate through bill clattering rather than vocal calls. Found in the southeastern U.S., Central, and South America, their tactile feeding style and social nesting habits set them apart from their more solitary, sight-hunting heron cousins.
Last edited by a moderator:
