Little Blue Herons have very different plumages as juveniles than they do as adults. Juvenile birds are all-white in plumage, while adults acquire the dark, slate-blue plumage. Adult birds in breeding plumage start to get bluish-red feathers on their neck and heads. There are photos of all plumages of Little Blue Herons below. They're just very rare visitors in South Dakota, but I have managed one in-state photo below.
All photos are copyrighted by Terry L. Sohl. Contact me for print options or questions about photo use.
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