Tricolored Heron
Tricolored Heron has fallen sharply: down 61% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Tricolored Heron
The Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) 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 245 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 14 states, most concentrated in the Peninsular Florida.
- Family
- Ardeidae · Wetland birds
Notable Tricolored Heron Trends
Tricolored Heron has fallen sharply in surveyed states: down 61% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Tricolored Heron Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Tricolored Heron is projected to rise about 48% by 2029 — from 0.06 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.09 (95% range 0.00–0.20). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±152.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.09 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| 2026 | 0.09 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| 2027 | 0.09 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| 2028 | 0.09 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| 2029 | 0.09 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
Where the Tricolored Heron Is Detected
BBS routes recording Tricolored Heron, sized by most recent count.
Tricolored Heron Population Trend by State
| Alabama | -78% | 1968 | 8 |
| Arkansas | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Delaware | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Florida | -68% | 1968 | 96 |
| Georgia | -96% | 1968 | 18 |
| Kansas | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Louisiana | +37% | 1970 | 51 |
| Maryland | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Mississippi | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| New Jersey | -57% | 1984 | 4 |
| North Carolina | -76% | 1969 | 7 |
| South Carolina | -61% | 1970 | 6 |
| Texas | +53% | 1970 | 39 |
| Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
Tricolored Heron Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Oaks and Prairies | +1% | 1983 | 10 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | -32% | 1994 | 12 |
| Mississippi Alluvial Valley | +146% | 1974 | 20 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | -87% | 1968 | 67 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | -39% | 1981 | 12 |
| Peninsular Florida | -71% | 1968 | 76 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | -26% | 1989 | 5 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | +43% | 1970 | 41 |
Tricolored Heron Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 61% 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.