Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
The Little Blue Heron’s plumage is white as an immature and closely resembles that of a Snowy Egret of which it is probably closely related to. The Snowy Egret tolerates the close proximity of white Little Blue Herons more than that of dark Little Blue Herons. A white Little Blue Heron catches more fish in the company of Snowy Egrets than when alone. This relationship may be one reason why young Little Blue Herons stay white for a year. Another advantage of white plumage allows them to integrate with mixed species flocks of other white herons, thus gaining a measure of protection against predators.
Less commonly feeding in salt-water habitats, it favors the fresh inland waters of river swamps and marshy lakes. Its foraging methods are very slow as it walks in shallow water or waiting for its prey to approach.It also breeds in colonies, sometimes only of its own species or along the edges of mixed heronries.It was not a target of the plume hunters of the 1800’s but is declining to habitat loss and changes in local water dynamics.
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach Deep Brook Nature Photography.
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach Deep Brook Nature Photography.
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach Deep Brook Nature Photography.
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach Deep Brook Nature Photography.
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach Deep Brook Nature Photography.
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach Deep Brook Nature Photography.
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach Deep Brook Nature Photography.
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach Deep Brook Nature Photography.
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach Deep Brook Nature Photography.
12x18 canvas $125
12x18 Canvas $125
