Ardea herodias
Shorelines, marshes, and creeks across most of the continent. Four long thin toes, three forward and one back.
What does a great blue heron look like?
Tall gray-blue wading bird, S-curved neck, dagger bill.
What do great blue heron tracks look like?
A skinny X with a long rear toe. Much thinner than turkey. Found in mud at the waterline, not in upland woods.
- Four long thin toes, three forward and one back
- Track about 6 to 8 inches including the rear toe
- Toes are slender, not thick like a turkey
- Usually in a line along a mudflat
- Tall gray-blue bird if seen
What does great blue heron poop look like?
Whitewash on docks and under roost trees is more common than a discrete dropping. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine.
Where you find it
Shorelines, marshes, and creeks across most of the continent. Typical places: wetland. Year-round in open water. Summer visitor in the far North.
What to do next
- Stay out of nesting colonies in spring
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- Wild turkey identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
What do heron tracks look like?
Four long thin toes, one pointing back, in mud at the edge of water.
How to tell a great blue heron from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- Wild turkey. A big three-toed print. Large dark ground bird, featherless head, bronze body.
Great blue heron field marks
- Four long thin toes, three forward and one back
- Track about 6 to 8 inches including the rear toe
- Toes are slender, not thick like a turkey
- Usually in a line along a mudflat
Where the sign shows up
Shorelines, marshes, and creeks across most of the continent. Typical places: wetland. Year-round in open water. Summer visitor in the far North.
A skinny X with a long rear toe. Much thinner than turkey. Found in mud at the waterline, not in upland woods. Whitewash on docks and under roost trees is more common than a discrete dropping.
Common questions
What do heron tracks look like?
Four long thin toes, one pointing back, in mud at the edge of water.