Little Blue Heron

The name Little Blue Heron makes that species sound like the little brother of the Great Blue Heron. If you are comparing the Little Blue to the Great Blue, then yes...it is true that the Little Blue is "little", but it is not really a small bird. And while both the Little Blue and the Great Blue do have blue coloration (most of the time), the Great Blue really seems more gray to me, and the Little Blue is leaning towards purple (or, maybe it is indigo).

Regardless of the idiosyncrasies of his common name, the Little Blue Heron is a beautiful bird. Here is a photo of an adult, in all his blue-ish glory, found near the Anhinga Trail within Everglades National Park. He appears to be very serious about finding his next meal.