Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Kate Thome
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The flight of Egretta caerulea is graceful and strong. Their wing strokes are quicker than that of larger herons, and they fly with their head down and legs extended to the rear. They are usually silent, but sometimes make a low clucking or croaking sound. Their sounds during fighting are much different and resemble the screams of parrots.

Little Blue Herons are not energetic birds. They will sometimes walk quickly or even run, but are usually seen walking slowly and daintily along marshes. While hunting, these birds are loners, but nest together in small or large colonies.

Prior to mating, males stretch their necks upward with the bill pointing up, and then assume a crouched posture. Their movements include bill snapping, vocalizing, and neck swaying. If a female is impressed, she will approach him. Their first encounter can be very aggressive but, after a while, this is replaced with signs of affection such as feather nibbling and neck crossing. The male then gathers sticks to present to the female, raising his plumes and nibbling her feathers as she places the sticks into a nest structure. The flimsy nest is usually built up to 3-4.5 meters above the ground or water, but can be as high as 12 meters. (Riegner 1998, Terres 1980)