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The Little Blue Heron Is A Lovely Slate Blue Water Bird Found In The Americas

Maybe it's because my parents always insisted that the only colors walls should be are white, beige, and baby blue, I've never been much of a blue kind of gal.

I don't dislike blue, but I used to find myself going out of my way to avoid it when picking colors for my own home decorating.

It took a while, but I eventually realized that I'm just not fond of that particular kind of pastel blue that was in every kitchen and bathroom growing up.

It turns out that the exact shade of deep gray-blue in the feathers of the little blue heron is exactly my jam.

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So much so, that my bedroom is basically the exact same color.

In murky light, these water birds lean grayer, blending into their surroundings compared to brighter, whiter waterfowl that share their habitat.

But when the sun comes out, it reveals the rich blues and even purplish hues of their feathers.

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Though they are called "little" blue herons, they are actually about medium-sized for a water bird. The name helps differentiate them from great blue herons, which are far larger and oddly, far less blue.

Their habitat range extends from the Gulf Coast region of the United States down through the northern countries of South America.

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As juveniles, they remain white-colored for their first year before beginning to develop blue patches that expand over time.

They live in groups with snowy egrets, which makes researchers think that the white juvenile stage is meant to help camouflage them within the crowd.

If you live in an area with little blue herons, they can sometimes be hard to tell apart from tricolor herons.

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The easiest way to tell them apart is by looking for a white stripe down the bird's neck. If there isn't one, then it's a little blue heron.

h/t: Bird Watcher's Digest

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