Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) is in the Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns family (Ardeidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 59,595 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in April.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Little Blue Heron: observations by month (U.S.)
About Little Blue Heron
The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron belonging to the family Ardeidae.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Little Blue Heron by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 30,008 | January | Dec–Nov |
| Texas | 14,318 | April | Mar–Oct |
| South Carolina | 2,859 | June | May–Apr |
| California | 2,688 | November | Oct–Sep |
| Louisiana | 1,818 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Georgia | 1,185 | August | Jul–Jun |
| Mississippi | 1,078 | August | Apr–Sep |
| North Carolina | 720 | July | May–Sep |
| Alabama | 654 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Maryland | 540 | August | Jul–Oct |
| Virginia | 525 | August | Apr–Oct |
| New Jersey | 452 | June | Apr–Oct |
| Illinois | 302 | August | Aug–Sep |
| Missouri | 266 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Oklahoma | 252 | April | Apr–Sep |
| New York | 234 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Tennessee | 225 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Massachusetts | 207 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Pennsylvania | 163 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Delaware | 145 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Ohio | 145 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Kansas | 124 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Arkansas | 123 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Connecticut | 103 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Indiana | 71 | August | Aug–Aug |
| Kentucky | 55 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Rhode Island | 53 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Maine | 52 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Michigan | 51 | August | Aug–Aug |
| Vermont | 32 | August | Aug–Sep |
| Colorado | 24 | June | May–Jul |
| Wisconsin | 20 | April | Apr–Jun |
| Arizona | 17 | May | May–May |
| Washington | 14 | October | Sep–Nov |
| New Hampshire | 13 | August | Jun–Aug |
| West Virginia | 11 | August | Jul–Aug |
| New Mexico | 9 | April | Apr–May |
| Iowa | 8 | May | May–May |
| District of Columbia | 7 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Minnesota | 6 | June | May–Jun |
| Nebraska | 6 | May | May–May |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related birds (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Tricolored Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Photography tips
- Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
- Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
- Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
- Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Little Blue Heron?
Nationally, April has the most observations, with the main season from March to February.
Where is Little Blue Heron most often seen?
The most observations come from Florida, Texas, South Carolina.