Bird of the Year 2023

The Bird of the Year 2023 for me is the Tricolored Heron found in Greenway Park June 2023.  

It was poking around in the rocks in the middle of Thames River.  

It's a small heron 26 in (half the size of a Great Blue Heron).  A very slender heron with a long neck and bill, mostly bluish above and some blue and rusty brown on the neck, white crown plumes and pale rump plumes.  

They are normally found Eastern and Southern USA, Mexico, Central America, West Indies and Northern coasts of South America.  I've seen them in Florida.

I have been birding long enough that it use to be called Louisiana Heron.

Tricolored Heron

London, Ontario - June 7, 2023

A Tricolored Heron was found at Thames River yesterday.  This bird is found south-east US, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and north South America.  I've seen this bird in Florida many years ago so it's not a lifer for me.  But it's a Middlesex County lifer!  A very small delicate heron with a colour of beautiful slaty-blue with a white belly.  A Great Blue Heron flew in and the Great Blue looked huge compared to the Tricolored Heron.  A very nice bird!