Species-Specific Management (SSM)

Great Blue Heron

The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is another example of the large number of forest animals that depend on water as a major part of their lives. Only people having difficulties classifying things in ecosystems will exclude this bird as not being a forest bird but one of the marshes and wetlands. Seen in marshes and wetlands, it also can be found within forests. As clearings, ponds, seeps, and streams are part of the lower elevations of the southern Appalachian forest, so is this 4-foot tall, 5-pound bird. See Sibley (2000) for identification and range map. A picture and useful information are available.

They have been protected by the Lacey Act since 1900 (prohibiting the sale of feathers in foreign or interstate trade) and the Migratory Bird treaty (1918). They nest in groups and nesting platforms can be built to encourage them. They nest in dead trees more than 20 feet tall. Otherwise they are a part of large stream systems and are typically seen where canopies are open over the waters. Eagles and bobcats may be their main predators. They are common in beaver ponds, wildlife ponds, and stream and lake sides. They feed on fish, salamanders, lizards, small birds, rodents, snakes, frogs and crayfish. Management suggestions include:

• Engage in intensive management of the riparian volume.
• Encourage or maintain shallow-water volumes of diverse types (shallow ponds, oxbow units, small waterholes, water diversions)
• Prevent wetland drainage.
• Maintain open-crown roost trees near feeding areas.
• Develop water areas with islands having large trees or nest platforms.
• Place rafts in ponds and waterholes.
• Maintain species-rich stream environments, full of seasonally-changing animal populations
• Manage for large rodent populations in fields near foraging waters.
• Reduce non-point pollution having negative effects on the birds' food supplies.
• Reduce risks of direct loss and secondary poisoning from water pollutants
• Protect the nests and preserve the nest areas for repeated use (nest sanctuaries). Prevent observation-disturbance within 600 feet.
• Protect the young, nest-bound for 60 days.
• Protect birds from disturbance by people engaged in recreation (education; restrict season of use)
• Prevent poaching or indiscriminant shooting.
• Assure their protection in southern US areas and in Central America to which many birds shift in the winter.

See comment below.

Reference

Sibley, D.A. 2000. The Sibley guide to the birds.National Audubon Society,Alfred A. Knopf,publisher, New York, 544pp.

Submitted by Robert H. Giles, Jr.

An email exchange between Robert W. McFarlane and Paul Jones, 2/17/2000.

From Jones: We are currently erecting 4 Great Blue Heron nest poles with three platforms per pole on an island since the tree they currently occupy is dying. I was interested on hearing if any one has had success using them.

From McFarlane: I have enjoyed great success with great blue heron nest platforms on a treeless marsh island in Galveston Bay, Texas. The birds (as many as 26 pairs) were nesting on stick nests placed on the ground. I use 8-ft pressure treated landscape timbers topped with an "X" of 2"x 4" x 4ft "2 by 4"s. I initially used a shallow woven basket but these deteriorated after two years so I now use a plywood or siding 16 inch square with short pieces of 1" x 2" strips on each side to hold the nest sticks but drain rainwater. It is important to get the poles erected before the birds select a nest site. I have had as many as 12 platforms used at a time. I place only one nest on each pole and space the poles 10 to 15 ft apart. The 2x4 "X" gives the birds 4 places to stand beside the nest. Platform placement seems to be very important. If they are too close to the edge of the island they have been ignored. I placed 6 platforms on another part of the island where the herons were nesting on the ground but they were never used.

This Web site is maintained by R. H. Giles, Jr.
Last revision January 17, 2000.