Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
Until recently, we believed Little Blue Herons only bred 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 1980s) we’ve found them year-round 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 these younger birds often associate with. As it begins its second year, it develops blue-gray blotches. We call this the 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 Heron was spared because their dark feathers were not in demand.
Naturally, my first encounters with Little Blue Herons occurred in my hometown of San Diego. But my visits to Texas in 2020 and 2021 provided me with some wonderful meetings as well.
Given the wide range for this species, and the mix of migratory and sedentary populations, I expected they would split Little Blue Heron into multiple subspecies. However, my research showed scientists consider them to be monotypic (i.e. no subspecies).
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: Calico sub-adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:07:13 7:50 |
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Location:
Famosa Slough |
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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) |
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Description: Calico sub-adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:07:13 7:48 |
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Location:
Famosa Slough |
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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) |
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Description: Calico sub-adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:07:13 7:49 |
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Location:
Famosa Slough |
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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) |
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Description: Adult foraging at the San Diego River Channel near Robb Field. Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:04 8:22 |
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Location:
Robb Field |
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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) |
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Description: Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 7:35 |
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Location:
Famosa Slough |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/125 |
File Name: jcd1197LittleBlueHeron |
| © 2008 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: Juvenile at Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 7:45 |
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Location:
Famosa Slough |
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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) |
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Description: Adult at the Famosa Slough. Northern Point Loma, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2008:09:20 8:09 |
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Location:
Famosa Slough |
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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) |
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Description: San Diego River flood control channel. San Diego, California 2010-01-08. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:08 14:35 |
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Location:
Robb Field |
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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) |
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Description: Adult foraging in the Tijuana River Estuary. Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2010:02:18 10:03 |
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Location:
Tijuana River Mouth |
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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) |
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Description: Sub-Adult at the San Diego River Channel near Robb Field. Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:04 9:46 |
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Location:
Robb Field |
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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) |
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Description: Adult foraging at the San Diego River Channel near Robb Field. Ocean Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:04 9:53 |
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Location:
Robb Field |
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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) |
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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 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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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) |
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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 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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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) |
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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 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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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) |
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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 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1116 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: There was no shortage of feeding opportunities for the waders in the wetlands near the Convention Center. Last spring I learned how productive South Padre Island can be for birding. This was my first visit in winter, and it did not disappoint. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:19 11:53 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X2472-SouthPadreIsland |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: The views of waders at the Nature Center were generally more satisfying than from the Convention Centre. There are wetlands that the South Padre Island Convention Centre (free access) and the Birding & Nature Center (admission fee required) share. My previous visits to the wetlands had been to the Convention Centre. On this day I would find out why folks pay money to see the marsh, when there is free access next door. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:08 11:55 |
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Location:
South Padre Island WBC |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X0595SouthPadre-WBC |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: For most of the time I spent at Hunter Lane, this heron was content to stay into the sun and out of camera range. Luckily, it broke the pattern briefly before I finished my day. Hunter Lane is at the far side of the park, two miles from the Resaca de la Palma Visitor Center. It is the most reliable place in the reserve to find standing water, and my favorite place to enjoy birds. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:21 13:00 |
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Location:
Resaca de la Palma |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X4790-ResacaDeLaPalma |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: Waders I saw on the pond were shy. This Little Blue stayed well away during my visit. I drove this Wednesday to Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, but found its gates locked, so as a consolation prize, I continued to San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, where I found birds that hadn’t left Texas yet for the winter. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:10 11:28 |
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Location:
San Bernard NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X1666-SanBernard_NWR |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: This young Little Blue Heron has not begun acquiring his parents' lovely dark coloring. Tuesday's all day visit to capture images at the SPI Convention Centre was fruitful. The folks I met were great, and the birds were amazing. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:30 16:36 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron-Immature_D5X9012-SPI_ConventionCenter |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: I was photographing a Prothonotary Warbler when the Little Blue Heron walked through the scene. With a momentary lull in warbler migration on South Padre Island, I paid my admission to the Birds and Nature Center to attempt catching subjects that don’t make many appearances at the Convention Centre. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:08 16:28 |
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Location:
South Padre Island WBC |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X3403-SPI_BirdNatureCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: This Little Blue Heron shows a preference for the tall grasses in the marsh. Sunday was a day when the birds and then birders increased their respective presence on South Padre Island. Both are to be expected as spring migration steps up the bird numbers moving through on their way north. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:11 12:05 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X4339-SPI_ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: There was no shortage of feeding opportunities for the waders in the wetlands near the Convention Center. Last spring I learned how productive South Padre Island can be for birding. This was my first visit in winter, and it did not disappoint. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:19 11:54 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X2496-SouthPadreIsland |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
|
Description: There was no shortage of feeding opportunities for the waders in the wetlands near the Convention Center. Last spring I learned how productive South Padre Island can be for birding. This was my first visit in winter, and it did not disappoint. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:19 11:51 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X2444-SouthPadreIsland |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Little Blue Heron(Egretta caerulea) |
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Description: Little Blue Herons are one of several elegant wader species on the Gulf Coast. Having finished with the Great Texas Birding Classic on Sunday, I was eager to return to South Padre Island, where I knew Green Herons were raising families at the Bird and Nature Center. |
Date Taken: 2021:04:27 15:52 |
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Location:
South Padre Island WBC |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3000 |
File Name: LittleBlueHeron_D5X2623_SPI-NatureCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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