Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret, dark morph

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Reddish Egret, white morph

Reddish Egret, dark morph, hunting behavior

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Other Names
4. Full detailed species account

A medium to large heron of shallow salt water, the Reddish Egret comes in a dark and a white form. It is a very active forager, often seen running, jumping, and spinning in its pursuit of fish.

Description

• Medium to large heron.
• Bill pink at base, black at tip.
• Dark phase all dark gray with a reddish neck.
• White form all white with two-toned bill and dark grey legs.

• Size: 70-80 cm (28-31 in)
• Weight: 700-850 g (24.71-30.01 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Sound

Quiet away from breeding colony. Soft groan and grunt.

Other Names

Aigrette roussâtre (French)
Garza rojiza, Garza melenuda, Garza piquirrosa (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Lowther, P. E., and R. T. Paul. 2002. Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens). In The Birds of North America, No. 633 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.