Herons and egrets (Ardeidae)
Baby great blue herons: from egg to fledgling
A Great Blue Heron lays 2–7 eggs. They hatch after 25–30 days, and the young leave the nest 49–81 days later — about 74–111 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 2–7 eggs
- Incubation
- 25–30 days
- Time in the nest
- 49–81 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 74–111 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Stick platform high in trees, usually in colonies
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (25–30 days): 2–7 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (49–81 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season great blue herons mainly eat fish, frogs, crayfish and voles.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young great blue herons are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When great blue herons nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Alabama (Jan) and latest in Alberta (Mar). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
Found a baby Great Blue Heron?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about great blue herons
Frequently asked
How long do baby great blue herons stay in the nest?
About 49–81 days after hatching. Eggs take 25–30 days to hatch, so it is roughly 74–111 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Great Blue Heron lay?
2–7 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do great blue herons nest?
Stick platform high in trees, usually in colonies.
What should I do if I find a baby Great Blue Heron on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.