The birds of North America are diverse, and so are their habitats. Ponds provide shallow water habitat for birds that wade, swim, dive and hide among tall reeds. From small to large, we take a look at 12 species of pond birds and their unique characteristics.
12 Pond birds
1. Virginia Rail
Scientific Name: Rallus limicola
Virginia rails love to stay hidden in dense vegetation of shallow, freshwater water ponds and marshes. Look along pond edges full of cattails, grasses and rushes. Their longer legs and beak allow them to wade in shallow water and probe through mud and silt to find snails, crayfish, frogs and beetles. They most commonly forage at dusk and dawn.
The built their nests atop mats of floating vegetation, and often weave vegetation together above the nest to create a canopy. They have brown bodies with a gray face and orange beak. Their narrow body helps them slide through stands of dense, tall plants.
2. Great Blue Heron
Scientific Name: Ardea herodias
The Great Blue Heron is a large member of the heron family that uses its long legs to hunt for food by walking through shallow water. This common heron species is found throughout North and Central America. They’re the largest herons in North America, standing about 4.5 feet tall. Their long legs trail behind them while in flight, making them an easy silhouette to identify in the sky.
They have grayish-blue feathers, a white face and large yellow beak. Great Blue Herons inhabit many types of freshwater and saltwater habitats including ponds. Great Blue Herons stalk their prey, walking slowly they standing still until the time is right to strike with their sharp beak. Their diet is varied and includes fish, frogs, reptiles and even small birds and mammals. Despite their size they mainly nest in trees, building nests of large sticks lined with pine needles, reeds and grasses.
3. Snow Goose
