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Reddish Egrets

To make it easier to picture the reddish egret in the wild, browse the images below.

 

The rarest of the egrets, the reddish egret (egretta rufescens) can be found in the shallow coastal salt water lagoons and estuaries of the Gulf states, Mexico, Central America, the caribbean and the Bahamas. The largest populations of breeding pairs are curently along the coast of Texas.

They are very active foragers, often seen running, jumping and spinning, sometimes with wings outspread, in the pursuit of prey. They will try to herd them into groups to make them easier to catch. They feed on fish, frogs, crustaceans, insects and small animals preferring shallow mud flats, lagoons and saltwater estuaries.

They were almost hunted to extinction late 1800's and early 1900's for their plumes for the fashion industry. They have made somewhat of a comeback but are still very rare as the coastal marine habitat that they favor keeps shrinking bue to development along the coastlines.

One Leg Up

A reddish egret perches on the rail of the boardwalk in Tampa, Florida's Lettuce Lake Parki.

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Scratching An Itch

A reddish egret scratches an itch on the boardwalk in Tampa, Florida's Lettuce Lake Park.

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Ruffled Reddish

A reddish egret has its feathers ruffled by the wind in Tampa, Florida's John Sargent Park.

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Reddish Flight BW

A reddish egret flies over the shallows near the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida close to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

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Reddish Flight

A reddish egret flies over the shallows near the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida close to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

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That Feels Better BW

After shaking itself, a reddish egret's feathers start to return to normal. It was fishing in Tampa Bay, Florida near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

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Argh BW

A reddish egret shakes itself to get rid of excess water as it fishes in Tampa Bay, Florida near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

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Pinfish Lunch BW

A reddish egret prepares to swallow a pinfish it has caught while wading in the shallows of Tampa Bay, Florida.

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Gotcha BW

A Reddish egret fishing in the shallows near the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida close to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge catches a pinfish for a meal.

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The Strike BW

A reddish egret strikes at a fish that it has spotted in the shallows near the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida close to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

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That Feels Better

After shaking itself, a reddish egret's feathers start to return to normal. It was fishing in Tampa Bay, Florida near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

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There's One BW

A reddish egret spots a fish in the shallows near the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida close to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

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