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By Peter Vankevich
Appearance: Blue-grey upper parts and a white line along the neck. It can be distinguished from the Little Blue Heron by its white belly. Note the long plumes on the head and neck during breeding season. Its preferred diet is small fish, but will eat amphibians and large insects.
When to See: Year-round, less common in winter
Where to See: Along the creeks, South Point Rd., Springer’s Point, near Hatteras ferry terminal
(audio provided courtesy of OhioLINK Digital Resource Commons)
Formerly known as the Louisiana Heron, name change occurred in 1984. Between the 1940s and 1970s, its breeding range expanded northward along the East Coast of North America. The first nesting record in Virginia was 1941. Connecticut and Massachusetts had first nesting records for in 1976, though it is only an occasional breeder that far north. Breeds mostly in coastal habitats, including estuaries, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, river deltas, lagoons, and salinas, but also in freshwater areas
Categories: Birds of Ocracoke Series