Cute Big Cranky

January 29, 2010 in New Birds and Herons with 5 comments

The Great Blue Heron is our 227th cute Birdorable and the answer to yesterday's Spot the Birdorable. If you live in North America you've probably seen these around near water as they are quite common. It has several nicknames, including Big Cranky, Blue Crane, Long John and Poor Joe. Did you know that all Herons have two or more patches of powder-down feathers on their breasts? The feathers break up into a fine power when crushed. The birds apply this powder to areas of blood, mud or slime to absorb the mess. Once it has clumped up they can just scrape it off with their feet. They also sprinkle the powder on fish that they just caught to more easily clean off the slime and oil before eating it.

Photo by Gary Woodburn (via Flickr)

If you like this bird see our other egrets and waders. We've also added the grey equivalent of this bird: the Grey Heron, which can be found across temperate Europe, Asia and parts of Africa.

Comments

Canaduck on January 29, 2010 at 9:37 PM wrote:

That is SO cute. I've never heard GBH's being called "Big Cranky" before, but the name fits, to be sure!

Kim B. on June 9, 2011 at 2:32 PM wrote:

I love GBH. Which reminds me that I need to go over the the heronry/rookery and check out the babies.

molly on October 1, 2011 at 1:49 AM wrote:

awwwwwwwww its soooo cute

Spurwing Plover on April 12, 2020 at 5:02 AM wrote:

I have seen Great Blue Herons my Grandma called them Icabods

Reed on May 14, 2020 at 1:10 PM wrote:

I see alot of GBHS at falls lake which is the lake near my house

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.

Your name (required)

Your email address (required)

Your email address will not be published

Comment (required)

I agree to receive updates and news from Birdorable

You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

2015 Bonanza Bird #6: Wedge-tailed Eagle

December 6, 2015

Today our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues with the largest bird of prey found in Australia, the Wedge-tailed Eagle! Wedge-tailed Eagles are named for the unique shape of their tails. Across their range, which includes all of mainland Australia as well...

Crane Week Bird Term: Precocial

March 30, 2018

We're celebrating cranes on the Birdorable blog this week! Today we'd like to share a bird term that relates to cranes and other birds. Let's learn about what it means to be precocial! The term precocial comes from the Latin praecocia, which...

Species Profile

The Blue-fronted Parrot: Nature's Skilled Mimic

March 14, 2024

When we think of parrots, one thing that often comes to mind is their incredible ability to mimic human speech. Among the avian masters of mimicry, the Blue-fronted Parrot, also known as the Blue-fronted Amazon, stands out with its vibrant personality, striking appearance, and, most notably, its remarkable vocal talents.

Fascinating Facts About Bluebirds

December 29, 2023

Bluebirds are medium-sized songbirds in the thrush family. These familiar birds are much more than just beautiful backyard visitors – they boast a fascinating array of fun facts! Here are some FAQs about this small family of birds. Three Different Bluebirds There are three distinct species of bluebirds in North...

Birdorable Blog