Tricolored Heron

Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) is in the Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns family (Ardeidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 45,352 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 Tricolored Heron: observations by month (U.S.)

About Tricolored Heron

The tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor), formerly known in North America as the Louisiana heron, is a small heron. It is a resident breeder from the Gulf states of the United States and northern Mexico south through Central America and the Caribbean to central Brazil and Peru. There is some post-breeding dispersal to well north of the nesting range.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Tricolored Heron by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)

Great Blue HeronArdea herodias

Great EgretArdea alba

Snowy EgretEgretta thula

Green HeronButorides virescens

Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax

Yellow-crowned Night HeronNyctanassa violacea

Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea

Western Cattle-EgretArdea ibis

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