Compare the head of a juvenile heron (top) and an adult (below) and you’ll notice that the adult has a lot more white coloring, both on the top of its head and in the face behind the eyes, as well as dark plumes extending out the back of its head. You can ignore the brown and red coloring on the adult’s bill compared to the youngster, as the brown mud is from hunting for voles, and the red blood is from hunting for voles successfully.