(Egretta tricolor)
24 - 28 inches

photograph © Walker Golder

Status: Proposed for listing as Species of Special Concern.

Identification: The Tricolored Heron has dark slate-gray head, neck and wings, and a white belly. A whitish line extends down the front of the neck. The back is rusty gray but turns tan when breeding. The bill and legs are brownish yellow, with the upper mandible often appearing darker than the lower. The lores are yellowish, but turn bright blue when courting.

Nesting Habitat: Tricolored Herons nest primarily in mixed-species colonies on coastal islands, although some may nest in swamp forests. Nests are usually elevated in trees, shrubs or marsh grasses.

Breeding Biology: Adults arrive at colony sites and initiate nesting activities in April. Egg-laying soon follows and can continue until late May. Tricolored Herons construct platform nests of interwoven stems and twigs, occasionally lined with grasses or small plant stems. The female lays three to four pale bluish eggs, one every other day. Both parents participate in incubation which lasts about 21 days and nestlings begin to fly at about five weeks of age. Tricolored Herons occupy North Carolina colony sites from early April through August.

Food: Food consists primarily of small fish, but also includes crustaceans, reptiles, amphibians, insects, snails and other invertebrates.

State Nesting Population: Declining, approximately 1,250 nesting pairs.

Major Threats: Human disturbances at nesting sites, loss of nesting sites habitats, and degradation of wetland foraging habitats.

Waterbirds:
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Last Revision 5/21/98