Manitoba · Summer breeder

Great Blue Herons in Manitoba

When great blue herons are present in Manitoba, when they nest, which native Manitoba plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canada 1a–3b yard.

Herons and egrets (Ardeidae)Great Blue HeronArdea herodias

Status in Manitoba: Summer breeder
Nesting window: March–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: Canada 1a–3b

When to expect great blue herons in Manitoba

Great Blue Herons are summer residents in Manitoba, arriving shortly before nesting begins in March and leaving after the young are independent.

Continental, from prairie in the southwest to boreal forest and Hudson Bay tundra in the north.

Nesting in Manitoba

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

Warm summers with a short, intense nesting season.

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

Native Manitoba plants that attract great blue herons

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

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

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

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

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

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.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seed-rich cones and year-round shelter.

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Common hackberry

Celtis occidentalis · Tree

Sweet dry fruit on the branch all winter.

Feeding great blue herons through the Manitoba year

Top foods: None — visits ponds with fish.
In Manitoba's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

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

Frequently asked

Are great blue herons in Manitoba year-round?

No. Great Blue Herons are summer breeders in Manitoba and leave for the winter.

When do great blue herons nest in Manitoba?

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

What native plants attract great blue herons in Manitoba?

Bur oak, American elderberry, New England aster, Tall goldenrod, Eastern white pine, Paper birch, Chokecherry, Common hackberry are native plants in Manitoba that provide food or cover for great blue herons.

Other backyard birds in Manitoba

Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Bluebird White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Mallard Belted Kingfisher Scarlet Tanager Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Gray Catbird Western Tanager Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Western Kingbird Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Burrowing Owl Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Harris's Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Rusty Blackbird 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.