- Egretta tricolor
Description
Location: Sanibel Island, Florida
Identification
Tricolored Heron (Louisiana Heron) Egretta tricolor RANGE Breeds on the east coast of North America from New Jersey to Florida and the Gulf Coast, and on both coasts of Mexico south to Panama. In South America breeds coastally south to northern Peru on the Pacific coast and the Amazon on the Atlantic coast. Also breeds on the Greater Antilles.
Northern birds are migratory and becomes more widespread on the Gulf Coast and throughout the West Indies. Post-breeding dispersal has taken birds north to New Brunswick and Ontario and a rare but regular visitor to southern California.
HABITAT Mainly coastal, found in shallow lagoons and on tidal mudflats and estuaries, mangroves and commonly in freshwater swamps in Florida.
SUBSPECIES Northern birds belonging to the race ruficollis are found as far south as Venezuela and Colombia, with the smaller nominate race found further south which also differs in having a chestnut rather than white foreneck stripe
