The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America. Often called a ‘crane’, this stately bird can be seen standing silent along lake shores or inland rivers. The Great Blue Heron is comfortable in many wetland settings, including marshes, tide flats, shores and swamps. A unique characteristic of the Great Blue Heron are the specialized feathers on the chest. The heron combs these feathers with its middle claw to remove fish slime and other oils from the feathers when they preen.