Reddish Egret

Birds      CiconiiformesArdeidae      Id. Record Geographic rangePictures

Aigrette roussâtre Physical description :
Reddish egret has two morphs, dark morph and white form.
Adult in dark morph has slate blue plumage, with reddish-beige head, neck and breast, with shaggy feathers. Underwings coverts are paler than upperparts.
Bill is long, pink at base and black on tip. Lores are bluish.
Legs and feet are dark blackish blue. Eyes are pale yellow.
Adult in white morph has entirely white plumage. Bill and legs are similar in both forms.
Both sexes are alike.
Immature in both morphs has black bill and pale lower breast and belly.
Chicks are dark at hatching, and they are covered with long soft down on the head and body. When feathers begin growing, they become white.
Non breeding bird is duller with shorter feathers. Aigrette roussâtre
The two phases mate together, giving partly coloured birds. Normally, they represent two species, white morph being named Ardea pealei Bonap.

Voice : Reddish egret's call is a usual 'krraaah'. It utters squawks and croaks. It is more vocal during breeding season, mates exchanging soft 'crog-crog' calls.

Habitat : Reddish egret lives in coastal waters, lagoons, salt marshes, coastal tidal flats, mangroves, salt and brackish waters.
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE: Reddish egret lives in coasts of southern United States, Mexico, Bahamas, and Caribbean, northern Central America to Salvador, and northern South America, Colombia and Venezuela. Most of part of populations breeds in north of its range, and Aigrette roussâtre migrates to south to winter. It is locally resident in extreme south Florida and along coasts of Texas and Louisiana, Mexico and West Indies.

Behaviour : Reddish egret walks slowly in shallow waters, searching for preys. When it finds a small group of fishes, it chases them, flapping wings while it is running from side to side, trying to capture them.
Sometimes it holds the wings as an umbrella, to attract some fish under this shadow and catch it.
Reddish egret is a very active bird, more at dawn and dusk. It dashes, almost runs back and forth with extended Aigrette roussâtre wings. In deeper waters, it may use aerial methods. Feeding territories are well defended.
During courtship display, Reddish egret erects the shaggy feathers on its head, neck and back. They perform some aerial combats. Birds are graceful and elegant when males pursue each other before a female, passing through the air, turning and cutting about in curves and zigzags with erected crest, and uttering calls. Male may chase another also on the ground, as well in the air. Then, male returns to its female, with erected crest and feathers, swelling out neck, passing and passing again before her, uttering hollow rough sounds.

Flight : Reddish egret has light flight, easy strong and sometimes fast. Its flight is more elevated and regular than that of smaller species. When they are travelling towards feeding grounds, they fly by easy, steady and Aigrette roussâtre regular wing beats, neck reposing on shoulders, legs stretched out behind, and with beautiful feathers floating.

Reproduction-nesting : Reddish egret nests in large mixed colonies. Both adults build the nest. It is a platform from 3 to 20 feet above water, in mangrove areas. Birds living in Texas build the nest on the ground, in islands. Nest is woven of sticks, twigs and fine materials. Dry sticks are interspersed with grass and leaves.
Female lays 3 to 4 bluish green eggs. Incubation lasts about 26 days by both parents. Chicks are fed by both adults, first by regurgitation, and when they are one month old, they are fed less often, and the fish is dropt before them, or into their open throats.
They leave the colony at about 9 weeks, Aigrette roussâtre but they are able to fly at 45 days old. They reach their sexual maturity at 3 to 4 years.
This species produces only one clutch per season. Two dark phase birds may have white morph chicks, but two white morph birds can never have dark phase chicks. A mixed pair has almost always dark morph chicks.

Food habits : Reddish egret feeds on fish, crustaceans, frogs and insects.

Protection / threats : Reddish egret populations are threatened by destruction and habitat loss in coastal habitat, with residential and commercial development. These disturbances change the high salinity of coastal waters that this species prefers, reducing their food resources.
They were hunted for feathers in the last centuries, but now they are protected and populations are increasing slowly.  

Other links :
Iucn
Birdlife


Specification sheet created by Nicole Bouglouan


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Updated on 2008/04/29 05:36:33 - © 1996-2008 Oiseaux.net

Herons and Egrets of the World: A Photographic Journey

Aigrette roussâtre

Aigrette roussâtre

Aigrette roussâtre

Reddish Egret