Apex Predator Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Herons, the largest herons in North American, are apex predators. While fish are their primary targets, they are opportunistic and will hunt snakes, frogs, salamanders, rodents, and even baby alligators. Herons spend hours standing motionless, relying on their slow, deliberate strikes to capture prey. Watching a heron battle, wrestle, and swallow a snake or a large, flopping fish is a raw and fascinating spectacle. Both Egrets and Herons are members of the Ardeidae family, sharing similar long, skinny legs, S-shaped necks, and spear-like bills used for catching fish. Great Egrets are very similar to the Great Blue Herons except for their white coloring, and the green around their eyes that appears in mating season.