Reddish Egret

Description:

This bird is affectionately called "Fred" by the local Audubon volunteers.

Habitat:

The range of E. rufescens extends from the coastal beaches of Texas to Florida in the Gulf of Mexico up to North Carolina on the Atlantic coast, throughout the Caribbean, and along both coasts of Mexico and Central America (Farrand 1983). This bird was found on Siesta Beach: Sarasota FL

Notes:

Reddish egrets are active feeders on a variety of small fishes and the only member of the heron family known to employ a foraging method termed 'canopy feeding' (Farrand 1983). By spreading their wings, hunting birds cast glare-reducing shadows as they step rapidly through shallow waters to catch their prey (Kale 1990).