Iowa · Year-round resident

Great Blue Herons in Iowa

When great blue herons are present in Iowa, when they nest, which native Iowa plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4b–6a yard.

Herons and egrets (Ardeidae)Great Blue HeronArdea herodias

Status in Iowa: Year-round resident
Nesting window: February–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4b–6a

When to expect great blue herons in Iowa

Great Blue Herons live in Iowa all year. Cold, windy winters; open farmland makes backyard shelter and feeders a lifeline. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Humid continental prairie state, with loess hills in the west and the Driftless Area in the northeast.

Nesting in Iowa

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

Hot, humid summers with thunderstorms.

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

Native Iowa plants that attract great blue herons

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

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.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.

New England aster

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae · Perennial

Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Feeding great blue herons through the Iowa year

Top foods: None — visits ponds with fish.
In Iowa's winter: Cold, windy winters; open farmland makes backyard shelter and feeders a lifeline.

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

Frequently asked

Are great blue herons in Iowa year-round?

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

When do great blue herons nest in Iowa?

Nesting in Iowa 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 Iowa?

Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Spicebush, New England aster, Tall goldenrod are native plants in Iowa that provide food or cover for great blue herons.

Other backyard birds in Iowa

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren 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 Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling White-crowned 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 Golden-crowned Kinglet Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak 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 Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo White-eyed Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Least 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 Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Harris's Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Dickcissel Blue Grosbeak Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Yellow-billed Cuckoo Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon Eurasian Tree Sparrow

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.