- Egretta caerulea
Identification
60 cm long, with a 102 cm wingspan, and weighs 325 g. Blue-grey plumage except for the head and neck, which are purplish and have long blue plumes. The legs and feet are dark blue. Sexes are similar.
Non-breeding adults have dark blue head and neck plumage and paler legs. Young birds are all white except for dark wing tips and have yellowish legs. They gradually acquire blue plumage as they mature.
Distribution
North America, West Indies, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Swamps, flooded grasslands and lagoons, also coastal habitats in some areas.
Behaviour
It nests in colonies, often with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. 3-7 light blue eggs are laid.
Diet includes fish, crustaceans and insects.
