Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
The Little Blue Heron, until recently was only known to breed from the Gulf states of the USA through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. In the past few years (since the 1980’s) it has been found year round and breeding in San Diego.
During their first year, the Little Blue Heron is white, which seems to help it blend in with groups of Snowy Egrets. As it begins its second year it develops blue-gray blotches, which has been called a “calico” phase. As an adult, its blue-gray and purple coloration gives it a striking appearance. During the early 20th century, when the millinery trade nearly exterminated many of the white herons and egrets so ladies could have pretty hats, the Little Blue Herons were spared because their feathers were not in demand.

Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Calico sub-adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:07:13 7:50 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X3984-LittleBlueHeron-Juvenile |
© 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Calico sub-adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:07:13 7:48 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X3962-LittleBlueHeron-Juvenile |
© 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Calico sub-adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:07:13 7:49 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 |
File Name: D3X3980-LittleBlueHeron-Juvenile |
© 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Adult foraging at the San Diego River Channel near Robb Field. Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:04 8:22 |
Location:
Robb Field |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: JCD7641.LittleBlueHeron |
© 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 7:35 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 |
File Name: jcd1197LittleBlueHeron |
© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Juvenile at Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 7:45 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: jcd1211LittleBlueHeron.Juvenile |
© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 8:09 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/750 |
File Name: jcd1293LittleBlueHeron |
© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: San Diego River flood control channel. San Diego, California 2010-01-08. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:08 14:35 |
Location:
Robb Field |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: JCD5591.LittleBlueHeron |
© 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Adult foraging in the Tijuana River Estuary. Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2010:02:18 10:03 |
Location:
Tijuana River Mouth |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200 |
File Name: JCD6373.LittleBlueHeron |
© 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Sub-Adult at the San Diego River Channel near Robb Field. Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:04 9:46 |
Location:
Robb Field |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD7879.LittleBlueHeron.SubAdult |
© 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Adult foraging at the San Diego River Channel near Robb Field. Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:04 9:53 |
Location:
Robb Field |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD7930.LittleBlueHeron |
© 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Foraging in the Otay River at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 8:22 |
Location:
Saltworks |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 500 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1132 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Foraging in the Otay River at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 8:22 |
Location:
Saltworks |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1098 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Foraging in the Otay River at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 8:22 |
Location:
Saltworks |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1127 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Foraging in the Otay River at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 8:22 |
Location:
Saltworks |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1116 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

Click map markers to reveal further information

Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Calico sub-adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:07:13 7:50 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X3984-LittleBlueHeron-Juvenile |
© 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Calico sub-adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:07:13 7:48 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X3962-LittleBlueHeron-Juvenile |
© 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Calico sub-adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:07:13 7:49 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 |
File Name: D3X3980-LittleBlueHeron-Juvenile |
© 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Adult foraging at the San Diego River Channel near Robb Field. Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:04 8:22 |
Location:
Robb Field |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: JCD7641.LittleBlueHeron |
© 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 7:35 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 |
File Name: jcd1197LittleBlueHeron |
© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Juvenile at Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 7:45 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 |
File Name: jcd1211LittleBlueHeron.Juvenile |
© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 8:09 |
Location:
Famosa Slough |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/750 |
File Name: jcd1293LittleBlueHeron |
© 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: San Diego River flood control channel. San Diego, California 2010-01-08. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:08 14:35 |
Location:
Robb Field |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: JCD5591.LittleBlueHeron |
© 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Adult foraging in the Tijuana River Estuary. Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2010:02:18 10:03 |
Location:
Tijuana River Mouth |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200 |
File Name: JCD6373.LittleBlueHeron |
© 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Sub-Adult at the San Diego River Channel near Robb Field. Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:04 9:46 |
Location:
Robb Field |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD7879.LittleBlueHeron.SubAdult |
© 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Adult foraging at the San Diego River Channel near Robb Field. Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:04 9:53 |
Location:
Robb Field |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD7930.LittleBlueHeron |
© 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Foraging in the Otay River at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 8:22 |
Location:
Saltworks |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 500 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1132 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Foraging in the Otay River at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 8:22 |
Location:
Saltworks |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1098 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Foraging in the Otay River at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 8:22 |
Location:
Saltworks |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1127 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
Description: Foraging in the Otay River at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 8:22 |
Location:
Saltworks |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1116 |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

Click map markers to reveal further information