Heron Courtship
Male and female Great Blue Herons look alike, but their behavior is quite different. In early spring, a male heron will attempt to attract a female’s attention with fly-bys around her nest. To really impress her, he may fly around with a stick as large as six feet long in his beak, deliver it to her, then flap his wings and fluff up all of his ornamental breast feathers. In addition to constant nest repairs, males will fly as far as twelve miles to gather fish, salamanders, small rodents, snakes, and aquatic life to feed his family.
