Non-breeding adult. Photo: Peter Brannon/Audubon Photography Awards
Egretta tricolor
| Conservation status | Despite some reported local declines, still very common in parts of southeast, and has expanded range northward during the 20th century. In recent decades has nested at many new localities farther north and inland. |
|---|---|
| Family | Herons, Egrets, Bitterns |
| Habitat | Marshes, swamps, streams, shores. Mainly in waters of coastal lowlands. In breeding season usually near salt water, on shallow, sheltered estuaries and bays, tidal marshes, mangrove swamps. Also locally inland around freshwater marshes, lakes, rivers. Nests in colonies in trees, mangroves, or scrub near water. |
Forages in shallow water by standing still and waiting for prey to approach, or by walking very slowly; sometimes more active, stirring bottom sediments with one foot, or dashing in pursuit of schools of fish. Solitary in foraging, driving away others from small "feeding territory."
3-4, sometimes 2-7. Pale blue-green. Incubation is by both sexes, 21-25 days. Young: Both parents feed young. Young may begin climbing about near nest at age of 3 weeks, able to fly at about 5 weeks.
Both parents feed young. Young may begin climbing about near nest at age of 3 weeks, able to fly at about 5 weeks.
Mostly fish. Eats mainly small fish of no economic value, also crustaceans (crayfish, prawns), insects (aquatic insects and grasshoppers), tadpoles, frogs, salamanders, lizards, spiders.
Breeds in colonies, often with other species of wading birds. Male selects site within colony and displays there to attract mate. Displays include neck stretching, deep bowing, circular display flights. Nest: Site depends on colony location, which may be in trees, mangroves, willows, thickets of dry scrub, sometimes on ground; nest usually 2-10' above ground, sometimes up to 30'. Nest (built mostly by female, with materials gathered by male) is a platform of sticks, with a shallow depression at center, lined with finer twigs and grasses.
Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future.
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Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
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