Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor

The Tricolored/Tricoloured Heron is a coastal and swamp resident of the middle Americas, from around Virginia, USA to northern Brazil on the Atlantic side and from northern Mexico to Ecuador on the Pacific.

From the closed neck (above left) to the fully extended, very long, neck (above right). Thanks to Alexandra Makhnina who took these photos in Costa Rica.

A small heron, compared in size above to the Snowy Egret, its scientific genus is "egretta". It is often found with other herons/egrets including nesting in their heronries (colonies).