Egretta caerulea
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron of the genus Egretta. It is a small, darkly colored heron with a two-toned bill. Juveniles are entirely white, bearing resemblance to the snowy egret. During the breeding season, adults develop different coloration on the head, legs, and feet.
They have a range that encompasses much of the Americas, from the United States to northern South America. Some populations are migratory. They can be found in both saltwater and freshwater ecosystems. Their preference for either one depends on where they live.
Nesting behaviors are documented by numerous sources. The adults build nests in trees, in colonies with other bird species. The number of eggs laid varies from place to place. The young mature quickly, requiring little attention from adults after about nineteen days of age. Both young and adults are sometimes preyed on by other species. Adults hunt fish, crabs, and other small animals. As with clutch sizes, diet can vary regionally.
The population of E. caerulea is declining. Many possible reasons for this have been proposed. Exposure to heavy metals has been found to have detrimental effects on young birds. The little... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Luís | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Barranquilla | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 6 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 7 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 8 | Vitória | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Busch Gardens Tampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | The Maryland Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cameron Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Hutchinson Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Florida Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | South Carolina Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Little Blue Heron sighting in Miami on a given day, based on 7,289 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 34th most-seen of the 325 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November to March
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Little Blue Heron in Miami on a given day, against about 10% in October, the lowest month. Those are among Miami's driest months, with about 55 mm of rain a month against 190 mm in June.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Little Blue Heron sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 42
Of the 42 cities where we can rate Little Blue Heron sightings, Miami ranks 4th at about 20%. The best odds are in São Luís (Brazil, about 30%), Panama City (Panama, about 30%) and Orlando (United States, about 30%).
Same genus: Egretta
The closest relatives of the Little Blue Heron that you can see in Miami (genus Egretta, Small Egrets and Herons) are Tricolored Heron (about 30%) and Snowy Egret (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Little Blue Heron is recorded against all the birds logged in Miami (7,289 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
