Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor
This attractive heron is a regular but very rare visitor to Tennessee in the spring, summer, and fall. The Tricolored Heron was formerly known as the Louisiana Heron, though its range extends along the Atlantic coast from New Jersey southward to Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America. It spends the winters over most of this range.
Description: This medium-sized heron has a long, slender neck and bill, a dark grayish-blue back, a grayish-blue neck with a narrow white line in front, and a white belly. Males and females look the same.
Length: 26"
Wingspan: 36"
Weight: 13 oz.
Similar Species:
Habitat: In Tennessee, found along lakes, rivers, and ponds.
Diet: Mostly fish.
Nesting and reproduction: There are no known nesting records for this species in Tennessee.
Status in Tennessee: Extremely rare visitor in spring, summer or fall, across Tennessee. In April 2009, one was found at the Gallatin Steam Plant, Sumner County.
Dynamic map of Tricolored Heron eBird observations in Tennessee
Fun Facts:
- The oldest recorded Tricolored Heron was 17 years, 8 months old.
Obsolete English Names: Louisiana heron
Best places to see in Tennessee: Extremely rare visitor to lakes, rivers, and ponds across the state.
For more information:
Sources:
Frederick, P. C. 1997. Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor). In The Birds of North America, No. 306 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
Robinson J. C. 1990. An Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Tennessee. Univ. Tennessee Press, Knoxville.
Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. A. A. Knopf, New York, NY.
Consider using the online bird checklist program at eBird to help us understand bird populations and distributions in Tennessee. Click here to see how.
