Seattle made the great blue heron its city bird in 2003, after a year-long public vote run by Seattle Audubon. The heron beat the crow by about two to one.
Herons stand up to about four feet tall, with wings that spread around six feet. They hunt by standing perfectly still in shallow water, then striking fast. In flight they fold their necks into an S and trail their long legs behind, so you can tell one from far off.
They nest together in tall trees, in colonies called heronries, and they stay here all year, rain or shine.