Reddish Egret

Overview

The reddish egret (Egretta rufescens) is a medium-sized heron that is a resident breeder in Central America, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Gulf Coast of the United States, and Mexico. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and is considered North America's rarest and least studied ardeid.

Identification

• Medium-sized heron measuring 68–82 cm in length with a 116–125 cm wingspan.
• Adult dark morph displays a slate blue body with a reddish head and neck, while the white morph is entirely white; young birds are brown.
• Features a long, pointed, pinkish bill with a black tip and bluish-black legs and feet.
• Produces a low, guttural croak as its usual cry.

Habitat

This species is found in Central America, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Gulf Coast of the United States, and Mexico. Its habitat of choice is mud flats, and its breeding habitat consists of tropical swamps. Nesting colonies are usually located on coastal islands, though on the Texas coast, nests are often built on the ground on oyster shell beaches.

Diet

The reddish egret stalks fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects in shallow water near mud flats. It forages by running energetically and using the shadow of its wings to reduce glare on the water before spearing its prey.

Did you know?

Due to its bold, rapacious yet graceful feeding behavior and its typical proximity to mud flats, author Pete Dunne nicknamed the reddish egret 'the Tyrannosaurus rex of the Flats'.