Waterfowl

Little Blue Herons

Little Blue Herons

The Little Blue Herons, Egretta caerulea, is a small heron.

Closeup Image Little Blue Herons
Closeup Image Little Blue Herons

 

Distribution / Range

It breeds from the Gulf states of the USA through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay.

It is a resident breeder in most of its range, but some northern breeders migrate to the southeastern USA or beyond in winter. There is post-breeding dispersal to well north of the nesting range, as far as the border between the US and Canada.

 

Breeding / Nesting

The Little Blue Heron’s breeding habitat is sub-tropical swamps. It nests in colonies, often with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. 3-7 light blue eggs are laid.

 

Description

A Little Blue Herons in the Bushes
A Little Blue Herons in the Bushes

This species is about 60 cm long, with a 102 cm wingspan, and weighs 325 g. It is a medium-large, long-legged, heron with a long pointed blue or greyish bill with a black tip.

Breeding adult birds have blue-grey plumage except for the head and neck, which are purplish and have long blue filamentous plumes. The legs and feet are dark blue. Males and females look alike back.

Non-breeding adults have dark blue heads neck plumage and paler legs. Young birds are all white except for dark wing tips and have yellowish legs. They gradually acquire blue plumage as they mature.

 

Diet / Feeding

The Little Blue Heron stalks its prey methodically in shallow water, often running as it does so. It eats fish, crustaceans, and insects.

 

Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org … Additional information and photos added by Avianweb.

Heron InformationHeron Species (Listing)Heron Species Photos

 


 

Please Note: The articles or images on this page are the sole property of the authors or photographers. Please contact them directly concerning any copyright or licensing questions. Thank you.

Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also
Close
Back to top button