Joe Brown, age 12, of Austin, Texas, for his question:
IS THERE MORE THAN ONE KIND OF HERON?
Heron is the common name for 114 different species of tall, gaunt wading birds. They are found in swamps and marshes and on mudbanks in all warm parts of the world. Included in the large heron family group of birds are those more commonly known as bitterns and egrets.
Eleven types of heron are found in the Americas. One of the best known is the great blue heron, which 1s widely distributed in North America and winters as far south as northern South America. This bird is about 36 inches long and has a wingspan of about six feet.
On the top the great blue heron is a bluish gray in color. Below it is white streaked with black. Its crown is white with a black crest. The sides of its head are black and its face is slate blue. The bird's legs and feet are black.
The great blue heron has an interesting feature. During the mating season, two feathers of this bird's crest become long and threadlike.
Another well known American species is the green heron, with a similar range. The bird is about 14 inches long and is shiny green above and reddish brown below.
Common to the Louisiana bayous is the Louisiana heron, which is about 24 inches long. It is bluish gray above, with white rump, and is white below. Its crest is light brown in color. This bird flies north as far as New England at the end of the mating season.
The little blue heron is commonly found in the southeastern United States, including Florida. It is about 24 inches long and is slate blue above and reddish brown on the head.
Herons have elongated necks, necks and bills. They resemble cranes but are smaller. They fly with their necks bent in an "S" shape, their heads supported between their shoulders. Their bills average eight inches in length and are sharp edged and pointed.
Herons teed on aquatic animal life. Most species do not stalk their prey but, waiting in shallow water or on land, spear it with their long bills.
Herons have four long clawed toes on each foot, three of which are directed forward and the fourth backward. The claw on the middle of the forward toes has a rough, tomblike inner margin that is used by the heron in preening its soft plumage.
Herons often have a headdress of feathers, some of which grow into long, hanging plumes during the breeding season.
The birds breed and nest in large groups known as heronries. Most species construct their loose, flat, platform style nests high in the branches of swamp trees. Notable exceptions are the bitterns, which place their nests among reeds on the ground.
Two to six pale blue eggs are laid in a clutch.
The common European heron, the cinerea, is about 36 inches long and is similar in coloring to the great blue heron.
The African heron, or giant heron, is the tallest member of the family. This bird stands about five feet tall.