River Basin Center - Summit to the Sea

Great blue herons are birds that are frequently seen along the shores of the Altamaha River. These large, blueish-gray birds stand over 1 meter (or 3 feet) in height. They may be seen along the shores of both freshwater and saltwater bodies of water--rivers, lakes, marshes. They wade through the water trying to catch small fish with their bills.

In addition to fish, herons sometimes eat insects, frogs, shellfish, and rodents. Adult great blue herons have few predators. Heron chicks, however, have many predators. Great blue herons build their nests in the tops of trees. Raccoons and large birds flying over the nests, such as crows and hawks, prey upon chicks in the nest.

Habitat destruction and marsh drainage reduce the area the herons have to search for food and build nests. Heron populations decline when their habitats are destroyed.

Visit Our Partners:

	Alliance for Quality Growth
	Center for Community Design & Preservation
	Georgia Museum of Natural History
	NARSAL

University of Georgia - Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology

UGA River Basin Center
110 Riverbend Road, Room 101
Athens, GA 30602-1510 USA
Phone: (706) 583-0463
Fax: (706) 583-0612

C. Ronald Carroll, Co-Director for Science - rcarroll@uga.edu
Laurie Fowler, Co-Director for Policy - lfowler@uga.edu

Map and Directions to the River Basin Center
For questions or comments about this web site email: bethgav@uga.edu