Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)

Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor

The *Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)* is common across Florida and along the Gulf and Atlantic coastlines of the United States. The bird shown here was at Sanibel, Lee Co., Florida, in December, 2000, and was photographed with a Canon EOS 3 and 500mm F/4 L IS lens on Fuji Velvia.
The next two shots, of birds in breeding color, were shot at High Island, Galveston Co., Texas, in April, 1999, with a Canon EOS 1N and 600mm F/4 L lens on Fuji Sensia.

The four images shown here were taken at Ding Darling N.W.R., on Sanibel Island, Lee Co., Florida, in November, 2006. Several herons and egrets had discovered a number of fish in a deep pool of water. The water was just too deep for the egrets to wade in and hunt the fish as they usually do, so the birds improvised. I watched as several species, including this Tricolored Heron, flew back and forth over the pool and plunged their head and bill into the water in order to catch a fish without sinking too deep in the water! It was fun to watch. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens.



The next 3 shots of a Tricolored Heron were taken on South Padre Island, Texas, in April, 2009, with a Canon EOS 50D and an EF 800mm F/5.6 L IS lens.


The Tricolored Heron shown here was on South Padre Island, Cameron Co., Texas, in May, 2010.
Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor close up detail of head Ding Darling N.W.R., Lee Co., Florida 22 January 2013