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Project Noah Nature School
Egretta caerulea
Little blue heron juveniles are entirely white. These little birds are unique in the heron family. They are the only species in which juveniles and adults are totally different in coloration. Juvenile Little Blue Herons are completely white, while adults are a smoky blue-grey. The Little blue heron has green legs and feet and a two-tone gray beak and the all white juvenile will turn into the smoky blue-grey color in about two years.
This little blue heron juvenile was spotted in the marsh at Lake Waldena resort in Silver Springs, florida.
Here is one I caught in May of 2013 that shows the tye-dye - http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/244... As Ashley said they are really cool when molting. Great photos :)
It isn't the time of year yet for them to start molting, just another month or two and they will start!
Ashley! I have not seen one yet. Also have not seen an adult little blue heron lately.
It's pretty cool to see them when they are molting into adults, they are white and blue tye-dye all over :)
Hi Ashley! Thanks so much again on helping to identify one of my spottings. On the day of this spotting there were several people around and we all said "what a cute little egret". Learn something new every day don't we. This is my first actual spotting of a little blue heron juvenile. Amazing! Thanks again Ashley.
Hi Mary, if you read your link you provided with this spotting, you will see that little egrets are not found in North America. They are the old world equivalent to snowy egrets. If this were a snowy egret, it would have a solid black bill with a yellow face and black legs. Your bird has gray legs, and a gray bill with dark tip. Little blue herons do not get their blue until their second year, they are all white before then :)
Spotted on Feb 14, 2015
Submitted on Feb 15, 2015
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