Reddish Egret

I'm not a birder. Just about everything I know about bird identification I've learned from my fellow bloggers. When I saw this bird while in Florida last month, I had no idea what it was. A little internet research soon revealed that my mystery bird was a Reddish Egret. 

 

The Reddish Egret is described as a medium to large heron with reddish or rusty coloring on the head and neck; slate-gray body; long, blue legs; and pink bill with black tip. I read that there is also an all-white version of this bird, but even that morph retains the traditional coloration of legs and bill.

It is said that the Reddish Egret, an inhabitant of the saltwater marshes and lagoons skirting the Gulf of Mexico, is the rarest and least well-known of the North American herons.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife website states that there are only 1,500 to 2,000 nesting pairs of Reddish Egrets in the United States; and most of these are in Texas.

This egret is noted for its spirited foraging techniques.

I recently came across some photos of a Reddish Egret posted by fellow blogger, Tabor. I thought her images were spectacular, especially as they show this bird demonstrating some attitude. Click here to see a Reddish Egret with a killer hairdo.