Quick Answer
The most likely bird with a long neck found on bodies of water in Pennsylvania is the great blue heron. The great blue heron is a large wading bird that can often be seen standing motionless along shorelines and wetlands across the state.
Pennsylvania is home to a diverse array of bird species that inhabit its various ecosystems, from expansive forests to mountain ridges to wetlands and waterways. Among these avian residents are several varieties of long-necked birds that can be observed wading through lakes, rivers, and marshlands across the state. Determining which specific long-necked species may be spotted around Pennsylvania waters requires an understanding of the habitat range and characteristics of the potential candidates.
Great Blue Heron
The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is arguably the most ubiquitous and recognizable long-necked bird found around Pennsylvania waterways. As North America’s largest heron, it stands at over 4 feet tall, with a wingspan stretching nearly 6 feet. The plumage of great blue herons is silver-gray, with a white crown and black accents on the wings. Their long, smooth necks are grayish in color.
Great blue herons inhabit fresh and saltwater wetlands across most of North America. In Pennsylvania, they frequent marshes, swamps, lakes, rivers, and creek edges. Stalking slowly through shallow water, they spearing fish, frogs, small mammals, and insects with their sharp bills. They often stand motionless for long periods as they scan for prey.
Nesting colonies of great blue herons, called heronries, can consist of hundreds of breeding pairs constructing nests high in trees located near foraging grounds. The heronry sites are reused year after year. Great blue herons may be found across the state of Pennsylvania during breeding season from March to August. Some individuals migrate down south for the winter, while others tough out the cold temperatures if open water remains.
Identification Tips
– Large size around 4 feet tall
– Overall silvery-gray plumage
– Long white crown stripe on head
– Distinctive black cheek and side stripes
– Yellow bill
– Very long neck and legs for wading
– Slow, stalking gait
Great Egret
The great egret (Ardea alba) is another long-necked heron that can sometimes be sighted around Pennsylvania wetlands and waterways. Slightly smaller than the great blue heron, the great egret has bright white plumage contrasted by dark legs and a yellow bill. In breeding adults, long decorative plumes extend from the back.
Great egrets live predominantly along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of North America. In Pennsylvania, they are less common and widespread than great blue herons, occurring mainly in southeastern areas of the state. They forage while wading methodically through shallow wetlands environments. Great egrets consume a wide variety of aquatic animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
The Great Egret breeds in colonies with other wading birds like herons, often on secluded islands. Nesting season lasts from April to June. Most great egrets that visit Pennsylvania migrate back south before winter, though some occasionally overwinter in the state if waters remain open.
Identification Tips
– Entirely bright white plumage
– Long white plumes on lower back in breeding season
– Bright yellow bill
– Black legs and feet
– Very long neck
– Slow and deliberate stalking gait
Other Long-Necked Herons in Pennsylvania
While the great blue heron and great egret are the most frequently encountered long-necked wading birds in Pennsylvania wetlands, several other heron species may be observed occasionally around the state. These include:
Green Heron – A small, dark heron with greenish upperparts. It has a long neck and stalks prey along shorelines and wetlands.
Black-crowned Night Heron – A stocky, nocturnal heron with black and gray plumage and bright red eyes. It nests and feeds around marshes and lakes.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron – A fairly rare heron in Pennsylvania, identified by gray and white plumage and a distinctive yellow crown.
Little Blue Heron – A small, slate-gray heron that occurs sporadically around Southeast PA during the warmer months.
Any sightings of these less common herons in the state are likely to be near major wetland areas and nature preserves during spring and summer when they migrate up from southern wintering grounds. Proper identification typically requires seeing them at close range.
Other Long-Necked Water Birds in PA
While herons, egrets, and bitterns make up the best-known long-necked wetland birds, Pennsylvania is also home to some other aquatic species that share the trait of elongated necks adapted for hunting fish and prey in watery environments.
American Bittern – A cryptically-colored, well-camouflaged heron that inhabits marshes and wades slowly with neck outstretched.
Mute Swan – A large introduced swan with white plumage and an orange bill. It holds its neck in an elegant curve.
Sandhill Crane – The tallest bird in Pennsylvania, these gray-bodied cranes have reddish foreheads and very long necks.
Pied-billed Grebe – A small water bird with a thick neck and a chunky bill that allows it to dive and swim underwater.
While not as elongate as true herons, these species share adaptations like long necks used for hunting fish and other prey while wading and swimming in Pennsylvania’s wetlands. Correct identification comes with observing key field marks outside of just neck length.
Optimal Heron Viewing Locations in Pennsylvania
The chance of spotting herons and other long-necked wetland birds in Pennsylvania improves greatly by seeking out premiere wildlife habitat and known hotspots, usually during ideal months for nesting and migration. Some top sites across the state include:
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge – This expansive wetland refuge near Philadelphia hosts over 300 bird species throughout the year, including nesting colonies of great blue herons and black-crowned night herons.
Presque Isle State Park – Its coastal lagoons, marshlands and shorelines attract migrating and nesting wading birds like herons and egrets.
Pymatuning State Park – A large reservoir and protected wetlands area that draws huge numbers of water birds in migration and during summer nesting.
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area – Known for the tens of thousands of snow geese it hosts each March, this preserve also provides nesting habitat for green herons and great blue herons.
Visiting these premier birding sites during spring or summer will yield the best chance to observe herons stalking the waterways and wetlands with their characteristic long necks extended. Having a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope allows viewing from a distance without disturbing nesting and feeding birds during critical seasons.
Conclusion
The great blue heron stands out as the most familiar and frequently encountered long-necked bird found wading along Pennsylvania’s rivers, lakes, marshes and shorelines. Their large size, patient hunting techniques and wide distribution make them a common sight during warmer months across the state. While rarer, the great egret’s stunning white plumage makes it equally impressive to observe. Several other heron species, from little green herons to black-crowned night herons, can potentially be spotted as well, especially around protected wetland areas during nesting and migration periods. Equipped with knowledge of their preferred habitat, behavior, and identification marks, observing and appreciating these elegant, long-necked fishers in PA waterways becomes more likely.
