These four, young herons are almost ready to fledge and the nest is getting really crowded! Great Blue Heron facts: The fledgling heron's plumage is different from an adult's. Its' crown is grey, it lacks the plumes of the parent, and the feathers along the neck are brownish rather than black and grey. The feather tips of the wing are chestnut brown and in flight, the leading edge of the wing has a white spot that resembles a headlight. A few stringy feathers above the eye disappear soon after the young leave the nest. A young heron will wear this plumage through the winter and slowly replace it, as it becomes an adult at two years of age. ~ The Heron Working Group, Simon Fraser University

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