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The Heron Nesting Calendar (approximate)
Mid February - Early March
- Males return to the nesting colony, begin courtship of females by stretching their necks vertically and emitting loud cries
- Occupy existing nests or build new ones; couples improve and maintain the nest together
- Courting couples will cross bills
March - April
- Between 3-7 eggs laid, one to two days apart. Parents discard shells outside nest
- After a 28-day incubation period, eggs hatch, again, one to two days apart
- Both adults feed young, regurgitating directly into the chick's open beaks
- Weaker offspring often starve due to sibling dominance
- Weakest chicks may be pushed out of the nest by siblings and, if so, are not cared for by parents
May - June
- At 6 weeks of age, the young chicks walk along branches around the nest
- At 8 weeks of age, first clumsy flights between branches and nearby trees; young are still fed in the nest
July - October
- At 10 weeks of age, the young leave the nests and follow their parents to feeding grounds
- They learn to hunt and begin the process of independent life
