Heron season
Herons start to arrive in late January to court and settle into nests. Fledgling herons begin to leave in August, with the last few lingering into early September. When the first chicks hatch in early April, watch both parents feed and protect their young from eagle and raccoon attacks. There were no instances of raccoon predation in 2020 because of the predator guards around the trees. Eagles visited most around early April and late May.
Check out videos and photos below of the herons, from courtship to fledging chicks.
Heron cam
What to watch for and how to interpret what you see
Help support the heron colony
These herons are a species at risk in Canada and the Stanley Park colony is a vital part of the south coast population. One-third of great blue herons worldwide live around the Salish Sea.
The Park Board, along with our friends at Stanley Park Ecology, help sustain the heron population through monitoring, stewardship, and education.
Help Stanley Park Ecology protect, monitor, and sustain the Pacific Great Blue Heron colony by adopting a nest.
Adopt a nest External website, opens in new tab
Review the Stanley Park Heronry Annual Report PDF file (1.8 MB)
