| Little Blue Heron Identification Tips |
| (Credit: U. S. Geological Survey) |
| General
Information - Sexes similar - Medium-sized long-legged long-necked wader - Usually holds neck in an "S" curve at rest and in flight - Bill long and pointed - Dull green legs Adult alternate - Blue-gray black-tipped bill - Blue-gray belly, back and wings - Chestnut head and neck - Shaggy neck plumes Adult basic - Blue-gray black-tipped bill - Head and neck blue-gray like body - Lacks shaggy neck plumes Immature - White body plumage - Blue-gray tips to the outer primaries visible from below when bird is in flight - Gray lores - Black-tipped bill usually with blue-gray base, but occasionally yellow or flesh - In their first spring or first summer, immatures start gaining the adults' dark plumage and can be mottled with blue-gray and white. Similar species Adults are similar only to Reddish Egret, which is much larger and bigger-billed, and has a paler reddish neck, shaggier neck, and head plumes and blue-gray legs. Immature Snowy Egrets are similar to immature Little Blues but have black legs with a yellow stripe up the back, yellow feet, and yellow lores, and lack the blue-gray primary tips, and, usually, lack the two-toned bill. Adult white morph Reddish Egrets can be similar to immature Little Blues but are much larger, have blue-gray legs, shaggy neck and head plumes and a pink base to the bill. Immature white morph Reddish Egrets can be separated by the larger bill, bluish legs, and lack of blue-gray primary tips. |
| Return to Little Blue Heron page |
