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Sunday, February 23, 2014

Immature Little Blue Heron

When we saw this white bird with the green legs in Florida last month, we had no idea what it was. My blogging friend, Gail, from Louisiana Belle, helped me to identify it as an immature Little Blue Heron. It seems that this species of heron is the only one in which first-year birds show dramatically different coloration from adults. First-year birds are pure white, while adults are blue.









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15 comments:

  1. Our photosFebruary 23, 2014 at 2:42 AM

    Beautiful bird!

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  2. Margaret Birding For PleasureFebruary 23, 2014 at 2:59 AM

    Hi Linda. it is a very a very elegant Heron and you got great shots of it.

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  3. Elizabeth EdwardsFebruary 23, 2014 at 7:11 AM

    beautiful birdie. nice shots, Linda!! ( :

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  4. TexWisGirlFebruary 23, 2014 at 8:40 AM

    you're just KILLING me! :) beautiful!

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  5. MontanagirlFebruary 23, 2014 at 9:58 AM

    He's beautiful! Love how his green legs blend right in with those green leaves.

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  6. Out on the prairieFebruary 23, 2014 at 10:43 AM

    That water was so clear. There is a morph with the great blue herons that is white and makes them look like an egret. Don't know much about the little blues, but they are gorgeous.

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  7. Author R. Mac WheelerFebruary 23, 2014 at 11:29 AM

    Ha! I'll have to go back and see how many I've shot without realizing they were egrets. :O)

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  8. Ruth HiebertFebruary 23, 2014 at 3:05 PM

    It is still beautiful,but I guess would be very easy to identify wrongly.

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  9. Diane CFebruary 23, 2014 at 5:12 PM

    Beautiful pics Linda of this little bird...personally I think they should stay white and never grow up. Then we could rename them 'Peter Pan' :)

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  10. magnoliasnteaFebruary 23, 2014 at 7:19 PM

    Oh, this youngster is adorable with those green legs and white feathers. I knew nothing about the color difference between the younger and older ones and loved reading about it. Beautiful photos, too. Have a great week!

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  11. MersadFebruary 24, 2014 at 9:04 AM

    A very fragile little thing and such great images Linda.

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  12. Gail DixonFebruary 24, 2014 at 11:44 AM

    Oh, wow. GREAT shots of this sweet little blue. Seems funny to call him that since he's pure white. I was honored that you asked for ID help and I thank you for the shout-out! Sorry I missed this post yesterday. LOVE these shots. Those green legs are really something else!

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  13. CeilFebruary 24, 2014 at 12:57 PM

    Hi Linda! Look at those cute green legs! I don't think I've seen a bird with that color legs before. So cute! You really are 'beholding the beauty' aren't you :)
    Have a good Monday,
    Ceil

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  14. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2014 at 2:55 PM

    It's a beautiful and interesting series, Linda. The green legs look funny but obviously serve their purpose. :)

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  15. HilaryFebruary 25, 2014 at 11:14 AM

    Now that's a whole different look. I hadn't noticed that the legs were bright green on the adult. I had to go back and take a look.

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