Little blue heron in Cuba
© Sergey Uryadnikov/Alam
A little blue
If you want to see a little blue heron in its natural habitat, head to the swamps, tidal flats, and lake marshes of the US Gulf Coast, the Caribbean Islands, and Central America—and bring your patience. These herons keep a low profile, and often sit so still while hunting, they can be hard to spot. The adults develop deep blue plumage, sometimes sporting purple feathers on their heads, and tiptoe around the shoreline on green legs. The chicks are born snowy white, which scientists suggest is a survival adaptation to help them blend in with cattle egrets and snowy egrets—both species with bright white feathers—to enjoy the added safety of being in a large group.
Related Images
Hancock-Greenfield Bridge (aka County Bridge) in New Hampshire
Castelbouc and the Gorges du Tarn along the Tarn River in France
For Canada Day, canoeists in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Pine Log State Forest, Florida
Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio for National Public Lands Day
The Maroon Bells, near Aspen, Colorado
Bioluminescent algae along the shores of the Matsu Islands off the coast of Taiwan
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Bing Today Images
St. Barbara's Cathedral, Kutná Hora, Czechia
Aug 23, 2025
Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland
Aug 23, 2023
Menton, France
Aug 23, 2022
Farmland in Washington state's Palouse region
Aug 23, 2019
A coral reef in the Red Sea near Egypt
Aug 23, 2016
