Bird
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
A summer resident that nests in Arkansas. Found in all 75 counties, across 4 habitats.
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 75 counties
- Habitats
- 4

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 75 counties
- Habitats
- 4
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Arkansas 4
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.
Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.
Other habitats in its models (62)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Arkansas. Those recorded in Arkansas first, the rest by region.
Elsewhere in the South (39)
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal Wetland Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural Lakeshore Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Wooded Swamp Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Tidal Wooded Swamp Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Xeric River Dune Summer and winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Summer and winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Summer and winter.
- Cumberland Riverscour Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Tidal Wooded Swamp Summer and winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Florida Dry Prairie Winter, only within 250 m of water.
- Florida Panhandle Beach Vegetation Winter.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
- Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- South Florida Bayhead Swamp Summer and winter.
- South Florida Cypress Dome Summer and winter.
- South Florida Dwarf Cypress Savanna Summer and winter.
- South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Summer and winter.
- South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Summer and winter.
- South Florida Mangrove Swamp Summer and winter.
- South Florida Shell Hash Beach Winter.
- South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
- Southeast Florida Beach Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Hydric Hammock Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Cypress Dome Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer and winter.
- Southwest Florida Beach Winter.
- Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
Northeast (3)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt Marsh Summer and winter.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
Land cover and other classes (20)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Streamhead Seepage Swamp - Pocosin - and Baygall Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Winter, only within 250 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Plain Dry Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Winter, only within 250 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Winter, only within 250 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Winter, only within 250 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
- Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer and winter.
- Open Water (Brackish/Salt) Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Nupea Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression Swamp Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune) Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter.
Seasons in Arkansas
- Migratory: does not nest here, in 54 of 75 counties.
- Summer: nests here, in 43 of 75 counties.
Also found in its main habitats
Its main habitats in Arkansas, by how much of its habitat model each one is, with the birds most characteristic of each and the plants that grow wild there. Shared habitat, not food.
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Birds 102
- Nelson's Sharp-tailed SparrowAmmodramus nelsoni
- Northern WaterthrushSeiurus noveboracensis
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Forster's TernSterna forsteri
- Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Western SandpiperCalidris mauri
- Sandhill CraneGrus canadensis
Plants 17
- Slender FimbryFimbristylis autumnalis
- Blue MistflowerConoclinium coelestinum
- BagpodGlottidium vesicarium
- Oklahoma SedgeCarex oklahomensis
- False DaisyEclipta prostrata
- Blunt Spike RushEleocharis obtusa
- Bristly SedgeCarex comosa
- Heart Leaf WillowSalix eriocephala
- Southern Marsh YellowcressRorippa teres
- Sensitive FernOnoclea sensibilis
- White WillowSalix alba
- Zigzag JointvetchAeschynomene rudis
Ponds, lakes and their shores
Birds 60
- American White PelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchos
- BuffleheadBucephala albeola
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Common MerganserMergus merganser
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus
- Blue-winged TealAnas discors
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Forster's TernSterna forsteri
Plants 143
- Mudbank CrowngrassPaspalum dissectum
- Longbeak BeaksedgeRhynchospora scirpoides
- Sago PondweedStuckenia pectinata
- Water DawnflowerStylisma aquatica
- Common BladderwortUtricularia macrorhiza
- Horned PondweedZannichellia palustris
- Coastal Plain WillowSalix caroliniana
- Water TupeloNyssa aquatica
- Southern Marsh St. John's-wortTriadenum tubulosum
- Swamp CottonwoodPopulus heterophylla
- KnotgrassPaspalum distichum
- Grassy ArrowheadSagittaria graminea
Swamps
Birds 62
- Blue-winged TealAnas discors
- DunlinCalidris alpina
- RedheadAythya americana
- King RailRallus elegans
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
- Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
- Northern ParulaParula americana
- Purple GallinulePorphyrio martinica
- White IbisEudocimus albus
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- American Black DuckAnas rubripes
Plants 223
- Black Highbush BlueberryVaccinium fuscatum
- Smallflower BlueberryVaccinium virgatum
- InkberryIlex glabra
- Hoary AzaleaRhododendron canescens
- Small-flower ThoroughwortEupatorium semiserratum
- Carolina AshFraxinus caroliniana
- Dense-flower SmartweedPersicaria densiflora
- Swamp TupeloNyssa biflora
- Water HickoryCarya aquatica
- Bent SedgeCarex styloflexa
- Cypress-swamp SedgeCarex joorii
- Fringed SedgeCarex crinita
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Little Blue Heron
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001), modeled by watershed; migratory gives no dates
- NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0), habitat names
- US Census TIGER/Line counties
- Names follow the USGS Gap Analysis Project (2001)






















































