The Great Blue Heron stands 3 to 4 ½ feet tall, with a 5 ½ to 6 ½ foot wingspan. The webbing between their front two toes prevents the great blue heron from sinking into the mud while wading. #WildlifeWednesday Learn more: on.ny.gov/1HGSTnt Video by Keith Walters | NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

The Great blue heron is one of North America’s most impressive wetland hunters, tall, deliberate, and armed with a dagger-like bill. Standing up to 4.5 feet tall with a wingspan over 6 feet, this surprisingly lightweight bird survives almost anywhere there’s water. Fish are the main course, but nothing within striking distance is truly safe. It hunts with monk-like patience, then strikes in a flash. Look closely and you will spot the details: powdery chest feathers that clean off fish slime, a t