Photo: Peter Wallack / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of North America.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) is a member of the Ardeidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 339 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Pelecaniformes
- Family Ardeidae Herons, Bitterns
- Genus Egretta
- Species caerulea
Where it lives
Southeastern USA to southern Brazil
Quick facts
- Weight
- 339 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Vulnerable
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Little Blue Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Little Blue Heron is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) is a species of bird in the Ardeidae family, part of the order Pelecaniformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA se USA to s Brazil.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 339 g, with a wing length of about 25.8 cm and a tail of around 8.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Little Blue Heron?
The Little Blue Heron is a large bird that weighs around 339 g.
Where does the Little Blue Heron live?
The Little Blue Heron is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA se USA to s Brazil, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Little Blue Heron belong to?
The Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) belongs to the Ardeidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Little Blue Heron eat?
The Little Blue Heron hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Little Blue Heron migrate?
The Little Blue Heron is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Little Blue Heron endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Little Blue Heron make?
1 real field recording of the Little Blue Heron — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Little Blue Heron's range?
The Little Blue Heron has a mapped global range of about 5.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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