The tricolored heron is 23.6-27.6 inches (60-70 cm) in length and has a wingspan of 36-8 inches (91-97 cm).
It has slate blue feathers on most of its body, except for a white chest and belly and a rust-colored neck. It has long yellow legs; a white stripe that runs up its neck; and a long, pointed yellow bill that turns blue during the breeding season.
Males and females look alike.
The tricolored heron wades in shallow water in search of prey. Most of its diet is made up of fish, but it also eats amphibians, insects, and crustaceans.
Sometimes the tri-colored heron strides or runs through the water with its wings stretched out in an attempt to flush out prey.
The male tricolored heron chooses a nesting territory. The female lays 3-4 eggs on a nest of sticks placed on a bed of reeds or in a tree. Both the male and female build the nest and incubate the eggs.
The chicks hatch in about 3 weeks. Both parents care for the chicks and feed them regurgitated food. The chicks fledge in a little over a month.
The tricolored heron has a lifespan of 7-10 years.
The tricolored heron sometimes wades in deep water when looking for food, and all that can be seen of it above the water is its body.
The tricolored heron is also known as the Louisiana heron.
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The tricolored heron does not breed in New Hampshire, but it can be spotted in the state on occasion.
The tricolored heron breeds in southeastern New Mexico and Texas, on the Gulf Coast, and on the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to Florida.
It is a year-round resident in much of its range, but some birds may migrate south from New Jersey and Texas south to the Caribbean and northern South America to winter.
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