Colony Effects on Fledging Success of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) in British Columbia

The temporal distributions of arrivals and departures of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) at a colony in southeastern British Columbia differed significantly from a Poisson distribution (p < 0.001). The directions of herons arriving > 2 and ≤ 2 min apart were not significantly different (p > 0.20). However, herons departing ≤ 2 min apart flew in the same direction significantly more often (p < 0.005) than herons departing > 2 min apart. The two strongest hypotheses to account for this behaviour, flock recruitment and information centres, are the product of social interaction.

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Reproductive success and chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination of resident great blue herons (Ardea herodias) from coastal British Columbia, Canada, 1977 to 2000

Environmental Pollution ◽

10.1016/s0269-7491(02)00220-8 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 121 (2) ◽

pp. 207-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

M.L. Harris ◽

J.E. Elliott ◽

R.W. Butler ◽

L.K. Wilson

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Reproductive Success ◽

Hydrocarbon Contamination ◽

Chlorinated Hydrocarbon ◽

Ardea Herodias ◽

Coastal British Columbia

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Reproductive success of Great Blue Herons in British Columbia

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z85-167 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 63 (5) ◽

pp. 1110-1113 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

L. Scott Forbes ◽

Keith Simpson ◽

John P. Kelsall ◽

Donald R. Flook

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

British Columbia ◽

Reproductive Success ◽

Western United States ◽

Western Canada ◽

Ardea Herodias ◽

The Difference ◽

Lower Variability

Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) in 14 colonies in southwestern British Columbia fledged a mean of 2.5 young per successful nest between 1977 and 1981; annual values varied by 12% around the 5-year mean, being highest in a dry spring and lowest in a wet spring. Herons in large colonies in British Columbia reared more young with lower variability in reproductive success than herons in small colonies, but not significantly so (p > 0.10). When data for all Canadian heronries were analyzed, the difference was significant (p < 0.05). Herons in western Canada reared more young than herons in the western United States (p < 0.025). Mortality in herons in western Canada was also higher than in herons in the western United States (p < 0.005).

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Feeding behaviour of Great Blue Herons at Creston, British Columbia

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z87-464 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 65 (12) ◽

pp. 3062-3067 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

L. Scott Forbes

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Feeding Behaviour ◽

Ardea Herodias ◽

Feeding Behaviours

Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) at Creston, British Columbia, used three feeding behaviours: standing, walking slowly, and feetfirst diving. The prey taken differed with each behaviour. Standing herons took a higher proportion of active prey than herons walking slowly did; herons walking slowly took more sedentary prey than standing herons did. Herons diving feetfirst took dead and dying fish made available by a summer kill. The diet range of herons diving feetfirst was narrower than that of herons standing and walking slowly. The sizes and species of prey taken by herons reflected in part the abundance of prey. The gross and net energetic return of feetfirst diving was higher than that of walking slowly, which in turn was higher than that of standing. The herons appeared to be constrained from using more profitable feeding behaviours.

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