SEATTLE — EDITOR'S NOTE: A version of the above story originally aired in April 2016.
They are Magnolia's most eccentric residents: Great Blue Herons.
With six-foot wingspans, they weigh five pounds.
"They're nothing but feathers and bones." laughs Debbie Jacobsen, a member of Heron Habitat Helpers.
Perched in trees a hundred feet above Ballard Locks, a colony of incubating herons is busy renovating nests before their babies are hatched.
When they're not hunting for food, male herons shop around for nesting materials.
"They like dead trees as it is an excellent source of twigs," says Jacobsen
Then, they offer their finds to the females who may accept the twigs or reject them.
Viewed up close, Great Blue Herons appear full of intensity and intelligence.
"I like that they look prehistoric," says Marla Master, another member of Heron Habitat Helpers. Local volunteers monitor Heron nests and advocate for green spaces.
In 2003, working with Seattle Audubon Society, they had the Great Blue Heron declared Seattle's "Official City Bird."
"I can't believe how resilient they are in such an urban environment," says Jacobsen.
The herons moved to Commodore Park in 2013 not to avoid human intrusion but eagle attacks which have decimated the heron population in the past.
"Bald Eagles are part of the circle of life here, so they do come and eat the chicks. That happens. I mean, we love the eagles as well," says Master.
But the Heron Habitat Helpers are mainly rooting for the herons who have decided like a lot of us, to call this bustling and beautiful city of Seattle, home.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A version of the above story originally aired in April 2016.
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.