Little Blue Heron
Little Blue Heron has fallen sharply: down 63% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Little Blue Heron
The Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) is a North American member of the Herons, Egrets & Bitterns (Ardeidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.
- Size
- 12–51 in long (30–130 cm) — a long-legged wader (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
- Range
- Recorded on 772 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 25 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
- Family
- Ardeidae · Wetland birds
Notable Little Blue Heron TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
Little Blue Heron has fallen sharply in surveyed states: down 63% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Little Blue Heron Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Little Blue Heron is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.32 (95% range 0.06–0.58). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±55%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Little Blue Heron Is Detected
BBS routes recording Little Blue Heron, sized by most recent count.
Little Blue Heron Population Trend by State
Little Blue Heron Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Little Blue Heron Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 63% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.