Bird · GBIF taxon 2480881
Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolorAlso known as Louisiana Heron
Tricolored herons are slender coastal waders distinguished by their contrasting slate-blue upperparts, white belly, and white neck stripe. They forage actively in shallow coastal waters, often sprinting, dancing, or flicking their wings to startle small fish into the open. Unlike many colonial waders, these birds often hunt alone along mangrove fringes, salt marshes, and mudflats.
CoastalWading BirdDiurnal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Killifish
- Penaeid shrimp
- Aquatic insects
Predators
- American Alligators
- Raccoons
- Raptors
ThreatsCoastal habitat loss, wetland degradation, and pollution
HabitatsSalt marshes, coastal lagoons, mangroves, mudflats, and freshwater wetlands
Life span10–17 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPelecaniformes
- FamilyArdeidae
- GenusEgretta
- SpeciesEgretta tricolor
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observe from shore: Use binoculars along marsh edges to watch their energetic foraging without causing disturbance.
- Watch for wing-flicking: Look for sudden sprints and wing spreading as they flush hidden prey in shallow water.
Competitor (c) Basar, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Frequent Companion "Photo of the Week - Great Egret at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge" by U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. · cc0
Close Relative Chuck Homler d/b/a Focus On Wildlife / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative "Birds - Little Blue Heron by William Powell" by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Southwest Region is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. · cc0
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Found in Collections
Ecosystem chain
Wetland Territory
Tricolored Heron is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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