The Tricolor Heron is an underrated bird. Maybe it needs a better name. There are Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets, which all sound rather cool. Then you have a mundane name like Tricolor Heron. Of course I can’t think of a better name. They used to be called the Louisiana Heron, which isn’t particularly thrilling either. Their Latin name is basically the same, Egretta tricolor, so that doesn’t help.
At least the bird itself is spectacular. In breeding plumage the Tricolor Heron seems to have a dozen perfectly designed colors working together. At that time they have a bright blue bill with a black tip, white belly, red eyes, pink feet and body colors ranging from pink-purples to grey-blues and everything in between. Despite all the bright colors, they can hide well in dappled shade while fishing along the shore.
My exposure to these birds has mostly been from trips to the Everglades in the winter. There are few things more fun than watching these beautiful birds on a warm day, especially when you know that it is about -5˚F back in New York (on my first two trips) or Michigan!
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