﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  '59 
  

  

  and 
  yellow; 
  lores 
  yellow^ 
  ; 
  iris 
  

   red. 
  Fowng." 
  Without 
  plumes; 
  

   head 
  and 
  neck 
  mostl}^ 
  rust}' 
  ; 
  

   upper 
  parts 
  plumbeous 
  mark- 
  

   ed 
  with 
  rusty; 
  otherwise 
  

   similar 
  to 
  the 
  adult. 
  

  

  Length 
  23-28 
  inches; 
  

   extent 
  36-40; 
  wdng 
  8.5-11; 
  

   tail 
  3.5; 
  bill 
  3.6-5; 
  tarsus 
  

   3.5-4; 
  tibia 
  bare 
  2.25 
  ; 
  middle 
  

   toe 
  and 
  claw 
  3. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  It 
  ranges 
  

   through 
  tropical 
  and 
  austral 
  

   North 
  America, 
  rarely 
  north 
  

   to 
  New 
  Jersey 
  and 
  Indiana. 
  

   Its 
  onl}' 
  claim 
  to 
  a 
  place 
  in 
  

   the 
  New 
  York 
  list 
  rests 
  on 
  

   "a 
  single 
  specimen 
  shot 
  near 
  

   Patchogue 
  in 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  

   1836" 
  [Giraud, 
  Birds 
  of 
  Long 
  

   Island, 
  p. 
  282]. 
  

  

  Louisiana 
  heron. 
  Hydranassa 
  tricolor 
  ruficollis 
  

   (Gosse). 
  From 
  specimen 
  in 
  State 
  Museum. 
  J 
  nat. 
  size 
  

  

  Florida 
  caerulea 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

  

  Little 
  Blue 
  Heron 
  

  

  Ardea 
  caerulea 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  1758. 
  1:143 
  

  

  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  222 
  

   A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  i8qq. 
  No. 
  200 
  

  

  jlor'ida, 
  named 
  for 
  the 
  state; 
  caeru'lea, 
  Lat., 
  blue 
  

  

  Description. 
  Adult: 
  Usual 
  phase 
  slaty 
  blue, 
  becoming 
  purplish 
  chest- 
  

   nut 
  or 
  maroon 
  colored 
  on 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  neck; 
  base 
  of 
  bill 
  and 
  bare 
  loral 
  

   space 
  blue 
  ; 
  tip 
  of 
  bill 
  and 
  legs 
  black 
  ; 
  eyes 
  yellow. 
  Young 
  (and 
  sometimes 
  

   adults) 
  : 
  Pure 
  white, 
  the 
  longer 
  quills 
  tipped 
  with 
  bluish 
  slate. 
  Speci- 
  

   mens 
  varied 
  with 
  patches 
  of 
  white 
  are 
  not 
  uncommon. 
  In 
  the 
  young, 
  

   the 
  legs, 
  feet 
  and 
  lores 
  are 
  mostly 
  greenish 
  yellow, 
  usually 
  showing 
  some 
  

   trace 
  of 
  bluish. 
  

  

  Distinguishing 
  marks. 
  The 
  slaty 
  blue 
  wing 
  tips 
  and 
  the 
  greenish 
  

  

  yellow 
  legs 
  distinguish 
  the 
  white 
  phase 
  of 
  this 
  bird 
  from 
  the 
  Snowy 
  heron 
  

  

  