Tricoloured Herons use coastal estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves, and lagoons during the breeding season. They typically breed on islands with small trees or shrubs. Outside of the breeding season they use coastal areas as well as freshwater marshes, lake edges, canals, and ditches. Tricoloured Herons forage for small fish such as topminnows and killifishes in open or semi open brackish wetlands. They are skilled at stalking, chasing, and standing-and-waiting to capture small fish. Before striking, they draw in their neck and crouch down so low that their belly often touches the water. Their foraging style is generally more jittery and active than some other herons, chasing after fish with wings flapping or pirouetting with sharps stops and turns. Similar to Reddish Egrets, they also bend forward and push their wings over their head to entice fish to enter the shade provided by their wings.
Photographer: Dave Saunders