Tri-Colored Heron (Egreetta tricolor)
This medium-sized heron is found all along the eastern coast of the United States. It’s also found in South America. It averages about two and half feet in height. It likes swamps, marshes, and any coastal pond. It is sometimes referred to as the “Louisiana Heron.”
It’s bluish gray upperparts contrast sharply with its white abdomen, rump, chin, throat, and underwings. Splashes of chestnut occur here and there on its back and at the base of its neck. Its legs are yellow as is its bill, except for the dark tip. Its iris is red. In breeding, the bil becomes deep sky-blue with jet black tip, and the leg color intensifies, turning bright orange in some birds. Juveniles have a yellow iris.
The image to the left and the two directly underneath were photographed at Lake Harris in Lake County, Florida. The two bottom images were taken on Sanibel Island, Florida.