The Tricolored Heron

The Tricolored Heron belongs to the Ardeidae family. The Tricolored Heron’s graceful movements, aesthetic features, picturesque plumage, and beautiful name draw it apart from the other birds. The Tricolored Heron’s color is a placid blue/dark blue gray color. It has light greenish/yellowish legs and the color on the beak matches its legs. It also has a white stripe on its purple neck. The heron’s white belly gives it its unique identity. It is named the Tricolored Heron because of these three different shades. It is the only dark colored bird with a white underbelly in the heron family. The Tricolored Heron usually measures a little over two feet in length and has a little over three foot wingspan. It usually weighs ten to fifteen ounces depending on the gender.

Tricolored Herons can be found in many wet environments like marshes and sub-tropical swamps. The herons also thrive in salt water coastal environments. The Tricolored Heron was originally known as the Louisiana Heron because it originated from the Southeastern United States. It also makes it home in some southern countries near the coast. Little is known about the migration of this animal rather than the fact that they like to stay around wet areas like marshes and rivers. They may also migrate over open water out in the sea. The heron can use trees to perch and live on.

The Tricolored Heron’s diet consists of mostly tiny fish. Once in a while the bird will feed on an insect or some small shellfish. The Tricolored Heron squats low and stalks its prey before swallowing it in a blink. It sometimes even uses its feet when trying to trap its prey. The Tricolored Heron’s abilities and hunting techniques are amazing. It tries to camouflage by standing very still in tall grass when facing danger. It also ruffles its neck feathers when angry or facing rivals.

The Tricolored Heron breeds in warm climates in southern New Mexico, Texas, the Gulf Coast and on the Atlantic Coast from Florida to Maine. The male decides on where to build its nest. The Tricolored Heron’s beak changes to a blue color during breeding. Both the male and the females help and work together to build a nest out of sticks in the trees. The mother heron lays an average of three eggs but can lay up to seven eggs. These eggs are a unique blue-green color. The males and female both incubate the eggs. The eggs take a little less than a month to hatch. Again both the male and female herons care for the babies, taking equal turns at feeding the young. The young babies mature after a month and then flee the nest.

The Tricolored Heron can be seen soaring in the air at Green Cay. They make an array of beautiful colors and can be spotted trying to hunt for fish in the water. They can also be spotted building their homes in the many trees at Green Cay Wetlands.

Author:Vishal Patel
Co-Author: Neeraj Patel