Like all Herons, the Great Blue Heron has

The Great Blue Heron, photo taken by Steffon McGregor - (705) 785-3095

a unique form in flight. They pull their necks into an S-like formation, with their feet trailing behind them. They are among the largest birds, standing up to four feet tall when fully grown. They have long, yellow, spear-like bills, which are usually used to spear fish and other water creatures. Their distinctive features are the blue-grey tinted body feathers, and the black clump of feathers which extend over the eye and past the back of the birds' heads. They are commonly mistaken for the Sandhill Crane; however, you can tell the difference by looking at the way the birds hold their heads, and at the heads themselves. Sandhill Cranes have large red spots on their heads, whereas Great Blue Herons have large, black patches of feathers. Great Blue Herons' calls are deep and harsh, and they may be heard calling from marshes, swamps, lakeshores, and rivers.