Often they use the same nest year after year, adding sticks until the nest becomes very large. Flying overhead, great blue herons are often mistaken for cranes. To tell them apart, look at their neck. These birds stand about 38 inches high. They are slender white birds with long, black legs and yellow bills.
Great egrets like to nest halfway up the tree.
Some nest in fallen trees. They have three to four young per nest. In the early 1900s, great egrets were almost hunted to extinction. Their beautiful plumage was fashionable for ladies' hats. They are short, standing 25 inches tall.