Herons hold significant meaning in many cultures around the world. Among Indigenous Northwest Coast nations, they symbolize patience and good fortune. For Native fishermen, spotting a heron is a sign that he will have a successful fishing trip.
On the Pacific coast of British Columbia and Washington Blue Herons are a familiar sight. With their long legs, the adult heron stands about 1 meter tall and has a wingspan of 2 meters. They are one of the largest coastal birds, thriving where land meets sea, rivers, or lakes.
Although Blue Herons can be found throughout most of Canada, they are migratory birds, maintaining a year-round presence only in British Columbia and parts of the Maritime provinces.
Blue Herons are masters of timing and patience. This is particularly evident during the feeding process. Blue Herons hunt mostly along the seacoast, or in calm freshwater environments. While fish is their most common food source, they also consume reptiles, frogs, rodents and other small birds. The heron typically stands motionless with its neck extended over the surface of the water. Only the head and eyes will move as it is waiting for the right moment to strike. When the prey comes into view, the heron’s head and beak are thrust into the water at lightning speed to snatch at, or spear its prey.
In Northwest coast art, Blue Herons frequently adorn the top of Kwakwaka’wakw masks, and some members of the Haida Eagle clan use the heron as their crest figure. They are also prominently featured in plaque carvings and two-dimensional artwork.
by Joe Wilson