Great Blue Heron and Green Heron: The Two Types of Herons in Washington State
October 27, 2026
Washington’s tidal flats, rivers, and freshwater marshes support two very different types of herons in Washington state, and knowing the difference changes how you watch them. One is a four-foot giant that patrols Puget Sound’s shorelines every month of the year. The other is a secretive, crow-sized hunter clever enough to drop bait on the water to lure fish within striking range.
Both birds belong to the heron family, but their size, coloring, and behavior could hardly be more different. This guide breaks down what makes each species unique, where to find them across the state, and what to watch for once you spot one.
Pro Tip: Bring binoculars and arrive at dawn or dusk. Both heron species hunt most actively during low-light hours when fish and other prey move closer to the shallows.
| Feature | Great Blue Heron | Green Heron |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Up to 4 feet tall | About 18 inches tall |
| Wingspan | Around 6 feet | About 25 inches |
| Color | Slate-gray with chestnut and black accents | Glossy green-black crown and back, chestnut neck |
| Presence in WA | Year-round statewide | Mainly April through October, western WA |
| Signature behavior | Stands motionless, then spears prey | Uses bait to lure fish |
1. Great Blue Heron
The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is the largest heron species found in North America, and it is by far the more familiar of Washington’s two herons. Water birds like this one thrive wherever the state’s rivers, lakes, and coastlines meet open shallows.
Size and Appearance
Adult great blue herons can stand nearly four feet tall and with a six foot wingspan appear immense in the air. They are mostly a slate-gray, with chestnut and black accents, and very long legs and neck. Adults sport a shaggy ruff at the base of their necks, while young birds are less colorful and have streaked necks. That slate-blue plumage is part of why birders often lump it in with other blue-toned birds found around Washington’s wetlands, even though the color reads more gray than true blue up close.
Habitat and Range Across Washington
Great blue herons inhabit both salt and freshwater throughout the state and are tied to water for their food, feeding on a variety of fish, frogs, small mammals, insects, and reptiles. Their affinity for water means they turn up throughout Washington, even in areas typically considered drier, and they remain quite common in eastern Washington wherever rivers and lakes provide food.
In parts of their broader range where winter food runs short, great blue herons migrate, and some individuals move into Washington from points farther north, but most of the state’s breeding population stays put year-round. In eastern Washington, where lakes and ponds freeze over, herons concentrate along major rivers that stay open or switch to hunting rodents on land. That flexibility sets them apart from raptors such as the ones profiled in this guide to Washington’s eagle species, many of which shift their diets seasonally in similar ways.
Diet and Hunting Behavior
Great blue herons typically feed alone and will defend their feeding grounds territorially, though in places where prey is especially abundant they become more tolerant of neighbors. They hunt by standing motionless in shallow water or along mudflats, then striking with a lightning-fast jab of the bill once a fish or frog comes within range.
Nesting Colonies and Conservation Challenges
Great blue herons nest in colonies called rookeries or heronries, which they establish near a reliable food supply. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife survey data shows a long-term growth trend, with statewide nesting pairs climbing from 105 in 1980 to 550 in 1995 and 664 in 1998, with the greatest concentration in the Puget Sound and Strait of Georgia region. A later count found even more activity: a survey conducted between 2003 and 2004 recorded 121 active heron colonies statewide, representing roughly 4,700 nesting pairs.
That growth has not come without setbacks. While adult herons face few natural predators, young birds have a high mortality rate, and larger birds along with raccoons commonly prey on eggs and chicks. Bald eagle numbers have increased in Washington State, and this has become an issue because eagles now disturb heronries with greater regularity, sometimes causing colonies to fail mid-season.
One especially bad stretch came in April 1999, when 40% of Seattle-area heron colonies were abandoned partway through the nesting season. Anyone curious about the eagles behind this pressure can compare notes with Washington’s other large raptors, including the hawks that share the same skies.
Important Note: Great blue heron rookeries are legally protected in Washington. Herons are protected under state and federal law and by the City of Seattle, and visitors observing a rookery should stay outside the recommended 1,000-foot disturbance buffer. Colonies identified as Priority Habitat Areas, such as the one in Bellingham, carry additional local protections.
Great blue herons are frequently seen in Whatcom County, though their nesting colonies remain relatively rare and vulnerable to disturbance, since the birds favor shorelines, estuaries, lagoons, and marshes. Washington State identifies great blue heron nesting colonies as Priority Habitat Areas, and the Post Point Heron Colony in Bellingham is one of the better-documented examples of this protection in action.
For a closer look, several Puget Sound spots offer reliable viewing. Seattle is home to several heron colonies, including North Beach between Carkeek Park and Golden Gardens, Matthews Beach, the University of Washington campus, and Commodore Park on Magnolia Hill, which hosts the city’s largest colony. March tends to be one of the best months to visit breeding colonies in Seattle and the surrounding area, when adults are actively building nests and easiest to observe from a respectful distance.
2. Green Heron
The green heron (Butorides virescens) is a much smaller, more secretive bird than its towering cousin, and it earns a reputation among birders for something few other North American species can claim: it uses tools to hunt. Anyone who has spent time watching the brown-toned birds along Washington’s slower waterways may have walked right past one without realizing it.
Size and Appearance
Green herons get their name from the glossy green-black coloring of their crowns, crests, backs, and wings, though from a distance they often look hunched and simply dark rather than colorful. Their heads, necks, and breasts run chestnut or maroon, with a white stripe running down the front of the neck and a gray belly.
Their bills are two-toned, dark on top and yellow underneath, and both the bill and the legs shift toward black and orange during the breeding season. Juveniles look browner overall, with dark caps and more of a crest than adults, a coloring that overlaps with several of Washington’s yellow-toned birds until you notice the stocky, hunched posture unique to this species.
Habitat and Seasonal Patterns
Green herons were first reported in Washington in 1939, and the first confirmed nests in the state were not discovered until 1960, after which their range began expanding. Numbers in eastern Washington may be increasing, though the species remains far more common west of the Cascades.
Green herons are uncommon to fairly common, but local, at low elevations in western Washington from April through October. Birds that winter over are seen only rarely, mainly from November to March in the southwestern part of the state up through the southern tip of Puget Sound.
Green herons spend the breeding season in Washington mainly in the west of the state, from mid-April to October, and turn up on roughly 2% of birder checklists during that window. That seasonal pattern places them alongside migratory species covered in guides to herons found in Illinois, where similar spring arrivals and fall departures shape local birdwatching calendars.
The Tool-Using Hunter
Green herons are known for their use of tools, making them one of the rare bird species that uses bait when hunting. A green heron will drop items like insects or twigs onto the water’s surface to attract fish, then strike with lightning speed once a curious fish investigates the bait. This bait-fishing behavior has helped earn the green heron a spot on lists of the world’s smartest birds.
Green herons are ambush predators that prefer to stay motionless at the water’s edge until prey comes within striking range, a patience-driven style shared with several owl species covered in this guide to Washington’s owls. While small fish make up the bulk of their diet, green herons also eat insects, spiders, leeches, small rodents, and reptiles, giving them a broader menu than their fish-focused reputation suggests.
Key Insight: Researchers who study bait-fishing in herons note that the behavior is learned rather than instinctive, since young green herons do not perform it automatically and only a small share of individuals ever develop the skill.
Population Trends in Washington
Threats to the green heron population include predator control efforts at fish hatcheries and disturbance during nesting season, though pesticides appear to pose less of a risk to this species than to other herons. As with most wetland species, habitat loss and degradation remain the primary long-term concern, which makes protecting small wetlands especially important for green herons.
Because green herons rely on the same small ponds, ditches, and slow creeks that support a wide range of other wildlife, their presence often signals a healthy patch of wetland habitat. Birders working through a wetland checklist frequently cross paths with everything from wading birds found farther south in Texas to the hummingbird species that nest nearby in shrubbier streamside cover.
Common Mistake: Many new birders assume any small, dark heron-shaped bird near a pond is a juvenile great blue heron. Check the stocky, hunched posture and short neck first. A green heron folds its neck in tight against its body, while a young great blue heron keeps its neck extended even at rest.
Washington’s two heron species reward very different kinds of patience. The great blue heron is easy to find but takes a season of watching to fully appreciate, while the green heron demands a slower, closer look before it reveals just how resourceful it really is. Either bird makes a worthwhile stop on a Washington wetland outing, whether you’re tracking down a Puget Sound rookery or waiting quietly at the edge of a shaded creek.