If you want to see a little blue heron in its natural habitat, head to the swamps, tidal flats, and lake marshes of the US Gulf Coast, the Caribbean Islands, and Central America—and bring your patience. These herons keep a low profile, and often sit so still while hunting, they can be hard to spot. The adults develop deep blue plumage, sometimes sporting purple feathers on their heads, and tiptoe around the shoreline on green legs. The chicks are born snowy white, which scientists suggest is a survival adaptation to help them blend in with cattle egrets and snowy egrets—both species with bright white feathers—to enjoy the added safety of being in a large group.
A little blue
Today in History
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Signs of life in the Empty Quarter
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European Day of Parks
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Holi festival
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Dressed for winter fun
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Modica, Sicily, Italy
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Racers pushing past sunflowers in the 2018 Tour de France
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It s aboat time for the Barcolana
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Happy Boxing Day!
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Taking the scenic route
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It’s Siblings Day!
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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
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Let s face it: It s World Emoji Day
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Sea Otter Awareness Week
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A memorial in Germany
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Aýna, Albacete, Spain
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Boxing Day in East Yorkshire, England
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New beginnings
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The Hermitage of Santa Justa
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Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
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Cannes, France, in the spotlight
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A legend and a legendary home
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National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
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Borovets ski resort in Bulgaria
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A river runs through it
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Flamenco dancers
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D-Day remembered
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Lake Magadi, Kenya
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Groundhog Day
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Dance of the egret
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A night of art and culture