Photo by Dennis Deck
Photo by Dennis Deck
What made these tracks? [ View Answer ]
Second note that these tracks are moderately large but still considerably smaller than that
of the familiar great blue heron. The green heron, a small cousin of the great blue, commonly
feeds along small streams and backwaters. The green heron is less well known, probably due to his
small size and more secretive habits. As seen below, their tracks are very similar except that the
great blue's track is more than twice as long (6-8").
Answer
First note this bird has a certain asymetry to its track. The four toes
do not join at a common point. The trailing toe (#1) and the middle toe (#3) are offset from
each other. This pattern is characteristic of one family of large wading birds.
If you guessed heron, you are on the right track.
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