Little Blue Heron

The Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) is, as the name suggests, a species of small Herons belonging to the family Ardeidae.

About Little Blue Herons

These birds are intriguing creatures who, in the South prefer freshwater swamps and lagoons, but on islands in the North, they prefer coastal thickets. They are quite adaptable to their surroundings and have a decently spread out range when it comes to travel and breeding.

As they grow older, Little Blue Herons earn the color on their feathers as they are born with completely white plumage. They are quite easy to identify, with their piercing eyes and strange stature.

As a bird-watcher, these birds are quite a sight to behold. They have very interesting behaviors and distinct features, making them easy to spot and identify. With most facets of life, you can only gain something when you have enough experience and knowledge on the topic. This applies to bird-watching too! The more you know about the birds you’re looking for, the better chances you have at finding them and experiencing their presence!

While bird-watching, there’s always some vital information that’ll help you spot the bird you’re after. This includes knowing about their habits, and habitats. And obviously, the way they look and the sounds they make. There are quite a few other things that can help you on your journey in spotting Little Blue Herons. This is why we’ve compiled all this information to guide you on your journey.

● Little Blue Heron Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● Little Blue Heron Size, Eating behavior, Habitat
● Little Blue Heron Range and Migration, Nesting

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Little Blue Heron Color Pattern

They are medium-large, long-legged Herons with long pointed pale blue or greyish bills with darker or black tips. Their bodies are more elongated than Snowy Egrets. Breeding adult birds have blue-grey plumages except for the head and neck, which are purplish and have long blue filamentous plumes. Their legs and feet are dark blue/green or greenish. Both males and females are similar in the way they look.

Non-breeding adults have dark blue head and neck plumages and paler legs. Young birds are all white in their first year, except for dark wingtips, and have dull greenish legs. In their first spring or first summer, they gradually acquire the adults’ dark plumage.

This species is rather similar to the much larger and bigger-billed Reddish Egret. Immature Little Blues are similar to immature Snowy Egrets.

Description and Identification

Little Blue Herons are a small heron species, with strikingly different adult and immature plumages. Adults of the species are distinctive and have mostly grayish-blue plumages, with a contrasting deep purplish head and neck. They also have very notable greenish legs and bicolored bills.

Juviniles are all white in their first year, with tiny dark tips on their outer wingtips. These birds are very easy to confuse with Snowy Egrets since they are very closely related. The best distinguishing feature is that Little Blue Herons always have dull greenish legs, grayish or greenish lores, and usually have two-toned bills. Little Blue Herons also forage more slowly, often pausing for long periods of time with their necks outstretched and bills pointed down. In their first spring, Little Blues start to show splotches of gray-blue plumage. They are common from the eastern U.S. to South America, especially near the coast. They are found in a variety of wetland habitats, especially shallow marshy pools.

Little Blue Heron Song

Little Blue Herons are usually silent, but they can utter hoarse, harsh squawks and croaks. They clack their bills to communicate. This can be a loud, forceful, aggressive snapping, or a gentle rattle usually given between members of a pair.

Little Blue Heron Size

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of these birds is the size indicated in their name. It indicates that they are smaller than the majority of the Heron species. This species averages at about 25–30 inches long, with a 40-inch wingspan, and weighs 325 grams. They look much like Snowy Egrets but their bodies are far more elongated than the Snowy Egret.

Little Blue Heron Behavior

The Little Blue Heron is a stand-and-wait predator, rather than a frenetic, dashing around the predator. They watch the water for fish and other small morsels, changing locations by walking slowly or by flying to a completely different site. They nest in trees, usually among other nesting herons and wading birds.

The Little Blue heron cannot be described as an energetic bird. It will sometimes walk quickly, or even run, but usually, it walks slowly and daintily around marshes. While hunting it is a solitary bird, but it nests together with others in a small or large colony. This bird feeds during the day, when its long legs allow it to wade in the water and walk slowly to find prey, often standing motionless or retracing its steps. It uses its foot to rake the ground to disturb prey, stretching its neck so it can peer into the water. The prey is caught with its long bill.

Juveniles regularly forage with Snowy Egrets, as an individual tends to catch more fish if foraging alongside these birds. This unusual strategy for feeding is believed to increase the juvenile’s chance of survival when the bird is most vulnerable to the threat of starvation, and this may also explain its white plumage. Similarly, the white color may
allow juveniles to integrate with flocks of other herons with white plumage and thus benefit from more protection against predators.

In open, marshy habitats you may also see Little Blue Herons flapping slowly on rounded wings across the sky. They often nest with other waterbirds, so if you can find an active colony, scan through the incoming and outgoing birds for small Herons with completely dark plumage.

Little Blue Heron Diet

Little Blue Heron diets consist of mainly fish and crustaceans. Their diets are quite variable. They eat mostly small fish (including larger ones than those favored by similar-sized Snowy Egret) and crustaceans, including crabs and crayfish. Away from the water, this species eats many grasshoppers and other insects. They are also seen eating tadpoles, frogs, lizards, snakes, turtles, and spiders.

Since they are stand-and-wait predators, they are usually slow and methodical in their foraging, walking very slowly in shallows or standing still waiting for prey to approach. They may feed in shallow water or onshore, also in grassy fields, making their diets a lot more accommodative to their surroundings.

When observing groups of white Herons and Egrets foraging together, look for the slow, deliberate movements of an immature Little Blue Heron. This stately and deliberate pace helps distinguish the Little Blue Heron from its relatives, which tend to move more quickly or erratically

Little Blue Heron Habitat

Look for Little Blue Herons on quiet waters ranging from tidal flats and estuaries to streams, swamps, and flooded fields. They are usually found in only small numbers at any one water body, often tucked into hidden corners.

This species takes a liking to marshes, swamps, rice fields, ponds, and shores. In North America, their population is most numerous on freshwaters inland, around river swamps and marshy lakes. They are also seen feeding in wet meadows and even dry fields. They feed less commonly in saltwater, although they may favor such habitat in the Caribbean. Their nests are seen in trees or in dense low thickets near water.

Range and Migration

Little Blue Herons are usually residents or medium-distance migrants. Birds that breed in the interior Southeast migrate to Central and South America and the Caribbean. Individuals along the Gulf Coast, Florida, and elsewhere disperse only short distances.

Little Blue Heron Lifecycle

Little Blue Herons lay 3-5 eggs, and sometimes even 1-6 eggs. Their eggs are pale blue-green. Both males and females take part in the incubation period, which lasts around 20-23 days. Both parents are seen feeding their young, mostly by regurgitation. The young of this species may climb out of their nests onto nearby branches after 2-3 weeks
and are capable of short flights at 4 weeks. They become completely independent at 6-7 weeks. Little Blue Herons often live till they turn 7 years old.

Nesting

Little Blue Herons are monogamous breeders. This means that males will mate with only one female and females will mate with only one male. They are gregarious birds and they nest in groups at the edges of other Heron colonies.

Typically, an unpaired male arrives first at the breeding area to establish his small territory, which will be the nesting site, around the fork of a tree. The male then performs a “stretch display” to females, which involves an erect crest and neck feathers, pointing his bill upwards and a little lunge into the air.

They breed in colonies. Males establish small territories within the colony and do their mating display there, driving away other males. Their nest sites are in trees or shrubs, usually, 3-15 inches above ground or water, sometimes up to 40 inches high. Their nests are built by both the males and the females of the species and are a platform of sticks, varying from flimsy to substantial, with depressions in the center.

Anatomy of a Little Blue Heron

The Little Blue Heron is identified by its solid blue or white color, green to green-grey legs (except in breeding), and down-curved bill. This species is medium-large and has long pointed pale blue or greyish bills with darker tips. Their bills are usually two-toned. They have slightly elongated bodies. Both the males and the females of this species look
the same.

You can easily differentiate between breeding adults and non-breeding adults. Breeding birds have blue-grey plumages except for the head and neck, which are purplish and have long blue filamentous plumes. Their legs and feet are much darker than in non-breeding birds, which have a much paler and dull greenish tinge.

The juveniles of this species are very different from the adults because they have completely white plumages, which makes it easy to confuse them with Snowy Egrets. While growing up, these birds gradually earn the color of their plumage. They are seen having a sparse coloration as they grow and once they mature, their plumage is distinct and no longer white or sparse in nature.

Final Thoughts

Little Blue Herons are on the smaller spectrum of the heron species. Though called little, they are medium-sized birds with even larger personalities! They have such distinct features and a really mellow carefree attitude when it comes to life. There’s a lot we can learn from these amazing birds.

Though their population seems abundant, it is hard to take a record of it, and so they are assumed to have enough of a population to grant them a position of “Least Concern” on the IUCN.

As bird-watcher, these birds are easy to spot in their natural habitats, though they are not widely spread. While looking for these birds, you may have easily confused a juvenile Little Blue Heron with a Snowy Egret. But now, you’ve gained essential knowledge on spotting these birds and so are skilled to spot the differences!

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At the Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for IdentifyingLittle Blue Herons

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Little Blue Herons are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Little Blue Heron Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Little Blue Heron. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders ForLittle Blue Herons

There are many types of bird feeders. Bird feeders are a great addition to your backyard. Bird feeders will increase the chances of attracting birds drastically. Both kids and adults will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. There are a wide variety of bird feeders on the market and it is important to find the best fit for you and your backyard.

Bird HousesForLittle Blue Herons

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. If you spend a little extra money on bird houses, it will be well worth every penny and they’ll look great.