You probably have heard of herons before, but do you know what a Tricolored Heron is?
In this blog post, I’ll briefly explain to you what a tricolored heron is, what it looks like, and what it does in its habitat.
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns are part of a small family known as the Ardeidae (Ar-de-i-dae). Ardeidae refers to a “wading bird”. There are about 72 known species around the world. A tricolored heron is a kind of bird that lives near water and has three different colors on its feathers: blue, gray, and lavender.
The Tricolored Heron, formerly known as the Louisiana Heron, is a medium slim bird with a dagger-like beak. Its habitat can be marshes, estuaries, and lake/ponds. Commonly seen alone wading through water in search of small animals, sometimes running and making quick turns in the water as if it were dancing. Their diet consists mostly of fish, crustaceans, insects, and frogs.
I found this bird while I was vacationing in Florida this winter. The Tricolored Heron was in its “nonbreeding plumage”. It was also a little difficult to identify as it looks like the Little Blue Heron. It was with a group of other birds known as White Ibis staring patiently at the water waiting to strike at incoming prey.
Fun Fact:
“As Tricolored Herons get older, they often lunge and snap at their parents when they arrive at the nest with food. To appease the youngsters, parents greet them with bows.” (Source: Cornell Lab, All About Birds)
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Alejandro Carey 