Tricolored Heron in the Green

A tricolored heron wading through the plants in the shallow water of a small lake.... more

by Paul Rebmann

Title

Tricolored Heron in the Green

Artist

Paul Rebmann

Medium

Photograph

Description

A tricolored heron wading through the plants in the shallow water of a small lake.

This image has been featured in the following groups:
A Birding Group - Wings,
Coastal Water Birds-Shore Birds
& Florida Water Birds-Shore Birds

Previously called the Louisiana heron, they range along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts as far north as Maine in the summer, retreating to south of North Carolina in the winter. The range extends down both coasts of Mexico and along the South American coasts to Peru and northern Brazil.
A medium-sized heron, being 63-68 cm (25-28 in.) in length with a wingspan of 95-105 cm (37-41 in.). The white underbelly in all plumages, in combination with a dark breast, is unique among the herons and can assist in identification. The broken white line down the foreneck can appear similar to the great blue heron. Tricolor herons have an extremely long bill, yellow in juveniles and during the winter, turning blue with a dark tip during breeding season, typically February through July in North America. Legs are yellow, turning pinkish-red when in breeding plumage, which includes white head plumes and long buffy plumes on the back. Neck is russet in immature birds, slaty-blue in all adults.
Requiring a wetland habitat, Egretta tricolor is listed as a species of special concern in Florida and a number of other states.
(Species description from the artist's Wild Florida Photo website www.wildflphoto.com)

Uploaded

July 26th, 2015