Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758

Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns

Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, is a heron of North America and Middle America, with a breeding range that is widespread across both regions. It is a bird of shores, open water and wetlands, and it is also recorded from north-western South America, the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. The South Florida and Florida Keys form has all-white plumage and is known as the great white heron. That white form has been treated in different ways, including as a colour form, a subspecies, or a separate species. Linnaeus described the species in 1758.

Order
Pelecaniformes
Family
Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns
Breeding range
North America, Middle America: widespread
Great Blue Heron
© Paul Danese · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

15 tours in Canada 11, United States 3, Panama 1

British Columbia Bald Eagle Photography Workshop
British Columbia Bald Eagle Photography Workshop
Canada / Campbell River Group tour 6 days

Photograph Bald Eagles from a boat on a six-day British Columbia coastal workshop with Jeff and Angie, staying at a waterfront lodge and exp...

From USD 6,895 Next: Jun 10, 2027
Private Louisiana Coastal Marsh Birding Expedition
Private Louisiana Coastal Marsh Birding Expedition
United States / Hopedale Private tour 6h

A private skiff-based birding trip for up to three guests through Louisiana coastal marshes, with half-day and full-day options....

From USD 300
Wings of the Wetlands Birding Boat Tour
Wings of the Wetlands Birding Boat Tour
United States / Chalmette Group tour 1 day

A guided 1-hour-45-minute boat tour through Bayou Bienvenue and the Central Wetlands, looking for herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills and rap...

From USD 60
Private Provo River Delta Birding with FeatherQuest
Private Provo River Delta Birding with FeatherQuest
United States / Provo Private tour

Explore the wetlands, open water and paved trails of the Provo River Delta on a private FeatherQuest outing shaped for birders, families and...

From USD 350
Southern Chiriqui Lowlands Private Birding with Jason Lara
Southern Chiriqui Lowlands Private Birding with Jason Lara
Panama / Boquete Private tour 1 day

Look for herons, gallinules and other lowland birds along waterways, farmland and the coast of southern Chiriqui on a private half-day excur...

Montreal Region Private Birding Day Trip with Sheldon Harvey
Montreal Region Private Birding Day Trip with Sheldon Harvey
Canada / Montreal Private tour 1 day

A flexible private birding day around Montreal-area parks, shorelines and seasonal hot-spots with local birder Sheldon Harvey....

Greenwater Lake Birding Tour – 3 great days in warbler heaven
Greenwater Lake Birding Tour – 3 great days in warbler heaven
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 1,290
Van Scoy Lakes Birding Tour – 6 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Van Scoy Lakes Birding Tour – 6 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6h

A six-hour self-drive circuit west of Saskatoon through prairie, ponds, Eagle Creek and the Van Scoy Lakes for waterbirds and shorebirds....

From CAD 440
Best Birding Hotspots of SE Saskatchewan Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada: 2027
Best Birding Hotspots of SE Saskatchewan Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada: 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 4 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 1,490
Quill Lakes Birding Tour from Saskatoon, Moose Jaw or Regina – 2 great options for finding birds at Canada’s largest saline lake
Quill Lakes Birding Tour from Saskatoon, Moose Jaw or Regina – 2 great options for finding birds at Canada’s largest saline lake
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8h

An eight-hour private self-drive tour from Saskatoon to the Quill Lakes, focused on waterbirds and seasonal shorebird concentrations around ...

From CAD 740
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2 days

A private two- or three-day self-drive birding tour through the Great Sand Hills, South Saskatchewan River valley and, on the longer option,...

From CAD 1,290
Ferry Birding Tour – 4 hours with awesome river birds
Ferry Birding Tour – 4 hours with awesome river birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 4h

A four-hour self-drive circuit north of Saskatoon, crossing the South Saskatchewan River by two ferries and birding wooded shorelines....

From CAD 250
Eagle Creek and Eagle Hills Birding Tour – 8 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Eagle Creek and Eagle Hills Birding Tour – 8 hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8h

An eight-hour self-drive tour west of Saskatoon, combining the moist woodland of the Eagle Hills with creek, prairie and riverside stops....

From CAD 490
Gardiner Dam – Anerley Lakes Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Gardiner Dam – Anerley Lakes Birding Tour – 6 great hours with fascinating woodland and water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6h

A six-hour self-drive birding route from Gardiner Dam to the Anerley Lakes valley, combining lake, river, woodland, marsh and prairie habita...

From CAD 390
Best Birding Hotspots of Souris River 2026 Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada
Best Birding Hotspots of Souris River 2026 Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 1,990