Great Blue Heron juvenile

The adult Blue Heron is pale lavender-gray with darker feathers on it wings, a gray neck streaked with black, a white face, a pale crown and has long black head plumbs. It has a yellow-gray dagger-like bill. Its legs are grayish with pinkish thigh feathers. The sexes are similar although the male is larger than the female (which is hard to tell unless you see them together). It is the largest long-legged bird next to the crane. In flight, it has a slow wing beat and you will see it with its neck drawn in and its feet trailing. During breeding, the Great Blue Heron’s bill and lower legs change from yellow to orange and the area around the bill turns a bright blue. It sports long ornate head plumbs on its head, chest, and back. The juvenile has a dark crown and is not as brightly colored as an adult. It has gray streaking on its fore neck and breast. It will not reach full adult coloring or have head plumbs until it is 3 years old.