this species consists of small fry, water insects, worms, slugs, and snail*,
as well as leeches, tadpoles, and aquatic lizards.
LOUISIANA HERON, ARDEA LUDOVICIANA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. voL viii. p. 13. pi. 64.
fig. 1. adult.—Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 51.
ARDEA LUDOVICIANA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 305.
Adult Male. Plate CCXVII.
Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a
point, the mandibles nearly equal. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight, the ridge broad and slightly convex at the base, narrowed
towards the end, a groove from the base to two-thirds of the length,
beneath which the sides are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with a
notch on each side close to the sharp tip. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal,
with a membrane above and behind. Lower mandible with the
angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal line beyond it ascending
and almost straight, the edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip
acuminate.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender.
Body slender and compressed ; wings rather large. Feet very long;
tibia elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with
angular scales, of which the posterior are scutelliform; tarsus elongated,
slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous scutella, laterally
and behind with angular scales. Toes of moderate length, rather slender,
scutellate above, reticularly granulate beneath ; third toe much longer
than second, which is very little longer than fourth, the hind toe
much shorter but strong; claws of moderate size, rather strong, arched,
compressed, rather acute, that of the hind toe much larger, the edge of
that of the third regularly pectinated.
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is the
lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers of the
upper and hind part of the head elongated, tapering, decurved, about six
of them larger and much longer ; of the sides, and especially of the lower
part of the neck, also much elongated and narrow. The feathers of the
fore part of the back long and narrow-pointed, those behind extremely
elongated, with long loose threadlike barbs; the rest of the back with
short soft feathers. Wing of moderate length; primaries tapering but
rounded, the third longest, second very little shorter, first and fourth
about equal; secondaries broad and rounded, some of the inner as long
as the longest primaries, when the wing is closed. Tail very short, small,
slightly rounded, of twelve rather weak feathers.
Bill brownish-black on the greater part of the upper mandible, and
on the sides of the lower mandible towards the point; the rest yellow, as
is the bare space before and around the eye. Iris bright red. Feet light
yellowish-green, the anterior scutella dusky, as are the claws. The general
colour of the upper parts is light purplish-blue ; the elongated feathers
of the head and hind neck above of a fine reddish-purple, as are
those of the lower part of the neck; the six longest feathers of the head
white. The long loose feathers of the back dull purplish-yellow, paler
towards their extremities. Throat white, its lower part chestnut; a line
of white all the way down the fore part of the neck ; the longer feathers
of the fore part of the breast dusky blue on their inner webs. The
breast, abdomen, tibias, and under wing-coverts, white; the lower tailcoverts
tipped with blue.
Length to end of the tail 27 inches, to end of wings 28, to end of
claws 34£ ; extent of wings 87 ; loose feathers from 4 to 5 inches beyond
the tail; wing from flexure lOf; tail 3£; bill along the back 4, along
the edges 5 ; bare part of tibia 9,\ ; tarsus 4 | , middle toe its claws ^.
Weight 1 lb.
The Adult Female is precisely similar to the male.
The Young, when newly hatched, are covered above with pale purplishgrey
down, which is of greater length on the head, as in other species.
The young fully fledged have the neck and fore part of the back
light brownish-red, the throat and lower parts white, as is the hind part
of the back ; the quills, larger wing-coverts and tail, light purplish-blue.
The feathers of the head, neck and back are not yet elongated. The bill
nearly as in the adult, but the legs deep greenish-olive.
After the first moult, the feathers of the head, neck and back, are a
little elongated, and begin to be tinged with the colours which they have
when the bird is full grown. The red of the neck is changed for tints of
blue and purple, as is that of the back, although remnants of it are still
seen. The fore part of the neck is white, mixed with brownish-red ; the
legs lighter.