Arkansas · Year-round resident

Great Blue Herons in Arkansas

When great blue herons are present in Arkansas, when they nest, which native Arkansas plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6b–8b yard.

Herons and egrets (Ardeidae)Great Blue HeronArdea herodias

Status in Arkansas: Year-round resident
Nesting window: February–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 6b–8b

When to expect great blue herons in Arkansas

Great Blue Herons live in Arkansas all year. Mild winters with occasional ice storms that make suet and sheltered feeders critical for a few days at a time. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Humid subtropical, with the Ozark and Ouachita highlands in the northwest and the flat Mississippi Delta in the east.

Nesting in Arkansas

Across Arkansas, great blue herons typically nest from February–June. Plan around that window: January for setup, June for clean-out.

Hot, humid summers; shade nest boxes in the Delta.

Great Blue Herons don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, serviceberry, white oak for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Arkansas plants that attract great blue herons

Of the regional native plants we track for Arkansas, these 8 provide food or cover great blue herons use:

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.

Feeding great blue herons through the Arkansas year

Top foods: None — visits ponds with fish.
In Arkansas's winter: Mild winters with occasional ice storms that make suet and sheltered feeders critical for a few days at a time.

Full diet breakdown for great blue herons · Best feeder for great blue herons

Frequently asked

Are great blue herons in Arkansas year-round?

Yes. Great Blue Herons are year-round residents in Arkansas.

When do great blue herons nest in Arkansas?

Nesting in Arkansas typically runs February–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 2–7 eggs, incubated for 25–30 days.

What native plants attract great blue herons in Arkansas?

Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Spicebush are native plants in Arkansas that provide food or cover for great blue herons.

Other backyard birds in Arkansas

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Mallard Belted Kingfisher Scarlet Tanager Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo White-eyed Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Green Heron Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Barn Owl Red-cockaded Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Harris's Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Horned Lark Dickcissel Blue Grosbeak White-winged Crossbill Brown-headed Nuthatch Greater Roadrunner Yellow-billed Cuckoo Brewer's Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.