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Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Birds |  Printer Friendly Version (PDF) |
Family: Herons, Bitterns, and Egrets (Ardeidae)
State Protection: Protected Bird 
Defined as a Protected Bird by New York State law. This species may not be hunted or taken at any time in New York. Federal Protection: Migratory Bird Treaty Act
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act implements various treaties and
conventions between the U. S. and Canada, Japan, Mexico and the former
Soviet Union for the protection of migratory birds. Under this Act,
taking, killing, or possessing migratory birds, including nests or eggs,
is unlawful unless specifically permitted by other regulations. State Rarity Rank: S2
A State Rarity Rank of S2 means: Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably make it very vulnerable in New York State. Global Rarity Rank: G5
A Global Rarity Rank of G5 means: Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. Did you know? Immature little blue herons are white. |
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| State Ranking Justification | [-] |
New York is near the northern limit of the little blue heron's breeding range. They are restricted to the non-barrier salt marsh islands of southern Long Island.
| Short-term Trends | [-] |
Breeding populations of little blue herons have been on a steady decline in New York. The 2007 Long Island Colonial Waterbird survey showed an average of less than 20 breeding pairs of herons at five of the 23 known colonies (McGowan and Corwin 2008; New York Natural Heritage Program 2009).
| Long-term Trends | [-] |
Accurate and historical survey data on little blue herons is lacking, partly due to their dark appearance making surveying difficult. Populations have been slowly declining throughout its range due to habitat loss. The little blue heron was an occasional visitor to New York during the late 1800s. They were first reported as breeding in the state during the late 1950s, on a salt marsh island in Jamaica Bay, Nassau County. By 1985, there were 68 breeding pairs in eight colonies. Confirmed breeding was recorded in 11 Breeding Bird Atlas blocks between 2000 and 2005 (McGowan and Corwin 2008).
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Home | Advanced Search | About Us Animal Guides | Plant Guides | Community Guides © 2004-2012 New York Natural Heritage Program, a partnership between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Please cite this page as:
New York Natural Heritage Program. 2013. Online Conservation Guide for Egretta caerulea. Available from: http://www.acris.nynhp.org/guide.php?id=6755. Accessed May 24th, 2013. 
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