Oklahoma Breeding Bird Species Profile: Snowy Egret

A common heron of Oklahoma, the Snowy Egret was once a victim of human selfishness.  During the early 1900s, its feathers were taken for the millinery (hat) trade.  Through the Migratory Treaty Bird Act of 1918, taking any birds or bird parts, which included feathers, saved the life of this bird, as well as the remainder of the herons and egrets.

This beautiful heron is utterly spectacular in adult breeding plumage.  It has an air of mystery about it, and it is truly a graceful animal, appearing delicate and similar to royalty .  The species nests in island trees, as well as single trees growing in water.  Some will forage for food in open water where there is plenty of room, while others prefer solitary foraging.  The species breeds on the coast or inland where there are lakes, estuaries and other appropriate bodies of water.

                                                                        Snowy Egret
                                                                 High Breeding Plumage
                                                                   High Island, Texas

The medium sized adult birds have bright yellow feet, which will become orange or red-orange during times of high breeding plumage, its plumes or aegretta, will stand up and they will run from the head, the breast, down the back, and curve upward at the tail.

Enemies are snakes, raccoons, the Fish Crow, and sometimes even the older nestmates.  The youngest usually does not survive due to the aggressiveness of its siblings.  They are incubated as the eggs are laid, so the youngest could be a week junior to the eldest.

One of the classics that this bird is known for, is its feeding technique.  It was born with its own personal fishing lures, which are the yellow feet.  When the snowy is foraging it will use its feet in a rakelike manner or move them upward and in a circular motion to drawn food skyward.  It will then easily take its prey from the top of the water.

                                                                    Snowy Egret
                                                             nonbreeding Plumage

Known as the Bird With the Golden Slippers, the Snowy Egret gives the impression of an ethereal nature, especially in breeding plumage.  To make them even more interesting, they have a "wah-wah-wah" call which almost sounds like a gurgling, and that clearly designates a Snowy Egret colony.

Many of these wading birds will overwinter on the Gulf coast, but good numbers will also go as far as central Brazil.  It all depends upon where they settle pre-breeding that determines post-breeding locale.

Oddly enough, in the 1830s, this bird was nesting as far north as New Jersey, and by the mid-1800's, it was at the Great Salt lake.  As time progresses in the global warming situation, they could well become northbound once again.  It will all depend on the survival of their preferred food sources.

                                                                       Snowy Egret
                                                                            Texas
                                                                       January 2017

Species Profile: Reddish Egret

A heron that is found in shallow salt water, the Reddish Egret is the most uncommon of all in the United States.  The species comes in two morphs, white and dark, both of which can be found in the same nest.

                                                            Dark morph Reddish Egret

Also the most acrobatic of the species, this wader runs, jumps, spins about, and is most famous for its canopy hunting technique.  Not only does it run with wings raised, it flies over shallow water seeking groups of fish, which are rapid movers, necessitating that it move in the same manner.  It takes about three years for a Reddish Egret to become skillful at this form of feeding.

Having a pink bill with a black tip, a medium to large sized bird, it also has blue-gray legs as a defining feature.  The white morph is just that with the same color scheme on the bill.  The dark morph is blue- or slate-gray with a reddish neck and head, and the immature is paler, but the red-brown neck could be missing.  It tales three years for the adult plumes, and the mature lores are bright violet, as is the bill and legs.  

                                                   
                                                          White morph Reddish Egret

As many of our beautiful herons suffered greatly due to the millinery trade, this bird never really recovered, and the current difficulty is habitat degradation.  There remains only 1500 to 2000 pairs of this colorful bird, and they are coastal denizens nesingt in colonies with other herons.  Their lavish courtship displays are very animated, involving shaking the head, hooplike flight, bill clacking, and raising head, neck, and back feathers.

Reddish Egrets nest on stick platforms, as many other herons do.  It is suspected that some of them nest inland in Texas.

These birds are classified as near threatened.  They are found in the Caribbean, southern coastal, California coastal, and will migrate to the southeast coast of the US.  Most of the population resides in Texas, followed by Florida, then Louisiana.  This specialized heron likes barren and shallow flats that are quite salty.  The diet is mostly killifish and sheephead minnows, followed by crustaceans and frogs.

The sounds of the Reddish Egret, courtesy of Audubon.

https://cdn.audubon.org/cdn/farfuture/btkjmiDSSZqxnV8nC9-TNdaomWhrD8gwL2S3UIqUX-k/mtime:1416244730/sites/default/files/REDEGR_1.croaksampothercalls_MEXms_1.mp3?uuid=5b51033593783