1. HERON FAMILY family Ardeidae order Ciconiiformes

2. Herons, Egrets, Bitterns Green Heron Great Egret Great Blue Heron Yellow Crowned Night Heron Black- Crowned Night Heron Least Bittern American Bittern Close to shore Wade in deeper water Motionless near log or bank Reeds Shallow at night

3. Shy Strong fliers S-shape Migratory

4. ADAPTATIONS Legs Toes Bill Neck Powder down areas of feathers Serrated middle claw

5. PREDATORS/CARNIVORES

6. NESTING Defend territory Colonies – rookeries Solitray Mixed colonies – herons Stick nest – trees – herons & egrets Grass nest – ground – bitterns Incubation 2 ½-4 week depending upon species Some incubate when 1 st egg is laid Altricial - remaining in nest 2 -3 weeks

7. FEEDING YOUNG Regurgitate Partly digested food Whole fish, frogs, snakes Trigger

8. PREY Foxes Minks Hawks Raccoons Crows and tree-climbing snakes may rob unguarded nests.

9. MALES Aggressive – fight Harsh calls Elaborate & instinctive motions Bright colors

10. VISITORS TO PA Little Blue Cattle egret Snowy egret

11. GREAT BLUE HERON 38 long and 70 wingspan Largest of dark herons Ardea herodias

14. EGGS Incubation by both sexes -28 days 3-6 3 weeks Mom & dad feed chicks

15. HABITAT Saltwater or freshwater Remote Near trees Loss Propagation areas

16. GREEN-BACKED HERON Small – 14 long & wingspread 25 Butorides striatus

17. HABITAT

18. NESTING Shrubs Trees Orchards Pair Loose colony Not as friendly as blue Twigs & sticks Flimsy Male selects & starts Female finishes

19. GREAT EGRET Casmerodius albus 32 long & 55 wingspread, 2 tall

20. CONSERVATION LAWS

21. DIET Fish Small mammals Amphibians Insects

22. HABITAT Colonies 10-50 trees Beech & red maple w/other heron species Swamps Lakes Ponds Susquehanna river shallows Islands and mudflats Habitat

23. NESTING Nest lined with leaves, moss, grass 3-4

24. BLACK -CROWNED NIGHT HERON Nycticorax nycticorax

25. FOOD Carnivore

26. HABITAT Fresh, salt and brackish waters, Forests Thickets even city parks!

27. NESTING 3-5 eggs Incubation 24-26 days Both sexes build nest 2-5 days

28. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

29. BLACK VS. YELLOW Longer legs Higher pitched call Yellow patch head Black & white head

30. DIET Frogs Fish Lizards Salamanders Insects

31. NESTING 3-5 eggs Incubation 24-26 days Both sexes build nest 2-5 days

32. AMERICAN BITTERN Botaurus lentiginosus

33. AMERICAN BITTERN

34. NESTING Solitary nesters Ground platform of cattails, reeds, or grasses 3 – 7 eggs

35. LEAST BITTERN Ixobrychus exilis

36. HIDING

37. FOOD

38. NESTING 4 -5 eggs