Category: Ardeidae

Predation as a selective force on foraging herons: effects of plumage color and flocking

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 6 abstract Experiments using model herons in natural mangrove habitats demonstrated that more hawks are attracted to white than to blue herons. Both Common Black-Hawks (Buteogalluas nthracinus) and crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) were observed preying on adult herons in Panama. Solitary herons were at greater risk than flocked foragers. […]

Notes on the plumages and generic status of the Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 3 abstract The juvenal plumage of the Little Blue Heron (Florida caerulea) has always been described as white with dull brownish gray tips to the primaries (Palmer, 1962: 428, and earlier authors). In September 1962, when Dickermanw as collectingb lood specimensfr om nestling h rons in a large […]

Influence of plumage colour on prey response:does habitat alter heron crypsis to prey?

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 5 abstract The foraging strategies of wading birds may be influenced by their degree of crypsis to aquatic prey. Whiteplumage has been hypothesized to be adaptive for herons hunting in open water habitats. We tested thishypothesis with laboratory and field experiments with multiple prey species.We investigated the responseof […]

Breeding biology of the little blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) in southeastern Brazil.

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 1 abstract The breeding biology of Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea) nesting in Santos-Cubatao, southeastern Brazil, was studied during the 1997 (75 monitored nests) and 1998 (65 nests) breeding seasons in one colony (Saboo River), and during the 1997 season (58 nests) in another colony nearby (Morrao River). […]

Aplomado Falcon Steals Prey From Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 2 abstract A juvenile male Aplomado Falcon (Falcofemoralis) was observed to steal crayfish(Cambarus diogenes) from Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea). Crayfish are not known tobe a common prey item of the Aplomado Falcon. To our knowledge this is the first instanceof piracy reported for this falcon. Falcons of […]