# Little Blue Heron

Scientific name: Egretta caerulea

Bird group: [heron](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/heron)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/160/Little-Blue-Heron

## Identification

The little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) is a small heron belonging to the family Ardeidae.


## Distribution and habitat

The Little Blue Heron occurs from most of the United States 
through Central and South 
America including the West 
Indies (Biaggi 1997), where it 
is generally a common resident 
on most of the islands (Raffaele 
and others 1998). It is a common 
resident in Puerto Rico and can 
be seen regularly at the Parque 
Centrals boardwalk along 
the Caño Martin Peña in the 
municipality of San Juan (Oberle 
2018). It also occurs on satellite 
islands such as Vieques (Sorrié 
1975) and Culebra (Kapan 2003), 
in the latter being common in 
fall, winter, and spring, and 
uncommon in summer (Gemmill 2015). Habitat includes mostly 
calm and shallow freshwater 
and saltwater areas (Raffaele and 
others 1998) including ponds, 
wetlands, canals, mangrove 
swamps, estuaries, and lagoons 
(Oberle 2018). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 199 
records within 118 hexagons 
or 25 percent of the 479 total 
hexagons (see map). Of the 118 
hexagons where this species 
was found, breeding met the 
atlas definition of confirmed in 
8 percent (10) of the hexagons, 
probable in 1 percent (1), and 
possible in 2 percent (2), while 
the species was observed in 89 
percent (105) of the hexagons 
but without evidence of breeding 
(see map).Little Blue Heron distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.       151Little Blue Heron/Garza Azul

## Breeding

Previously published reports indicate that the Little Blue 
Heron breeds from April to July, 
and it is usually colonial with 
other heron species (Raffaele and 
others 1998). The nest consists of 
a platform made mostly of twigs, 
which is usually constructed 
high in trees (Raffaele and 
others 1998) or in bushes near 
water (Biaggi 1997). Atlas 
results indicate that this species 
breeds from March to June and 
sometimes in August, with the 
most breeding activity during 
March and June (see chart). 
Overall, the breeding activity mostly takes place within the 
subtropical moist forest life zone 
(see chart). Results show that 
this species breeds mostly within 
subtropical moist (62 percent of 
the hexagons) and subtropical 
dry forest life zones (23 percent 
of hexagons) (see table). It also 
breeds within subtropical wet 
and lower montane wet forest 
life zones at higher elevations 
(15 percent of the hexagons) 
(see table and map).

## Conservation

The current overall population trend of the Little Blue Heron 
is described as decreasing, although some populations 
have unknown trends (Wetlands 
International 2012). However, 
this species is currently listed 
as a species of least concern by 
the IUCN (BirdLife International 
2017). Locally, this species is not 
listed in any of the threatened 
categories of PRDNER and 
USFWS. In Puerto Rico, the Little 
Blue Heron has a protected 
habitat in land of 11 percent or 
33 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (311 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_160_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_160_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.