The Little Blue Heron is the least flashiest of the North American herons with it’s dull slate blue and purplish-red coloring.
Which is the reason the Little Blue Heron was actually spared from the hunting frenzy that decimated other heron and egret populations during the feathered-hat fashion craze of the early twentieth century. Their dark plumes weren’t desired thankfully!
Little Blue Heron adult
Little Blue Heron adult
Little Blue Heron adult feet
Little Blue Heron adult
The first year of life, the Little Blue Heron is actually white and often confused with the Snowy Egret.
Little Blue Heron juvenile
Little Blue Heron juvenile
Little Blue Heron – almost adulthood!
I lucked out with a juvenile Little Blue Heron foraging around a Snowy Egret. You can see they are quite similar in size and looks. The quickest ID difference is the beak (the egret’s black vs. the heron’s slate blue tipped with black) and the heron missing the egret’s yellow lore.
Snowy Egret (left) and Juvenile Little Blue Heron (right)
Just four frames later an adult Little Blue Heron flew at the juvenile heron above, forcing it into flight. The adult followed/chased it out of my sight. Maybe someone was being scolded for wandering off! 😉
Adult Little Blue Heron chasing juvenile Little Blue Heron
The dark Little Blue Heron isn’t the easiest to photograph, hopefully I shared their own shining beauty to you!
(All photos were taken January through March 2020 in Florida)
