Frazzled red 2
by Ginger Stein
Title
Frazzled red 2
Artist
Ginger Stein
Medium
Photograph - Bird Photography
Description
I was fortunate to watch this Reddish Egret perform its antics not far from me in J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida, USA. He perched and fussed awkwardly around close by, hoping to snatch some bait fish from a fisherman who was seated just beyond me. He poked around for almost half an hour giving me ample opportunity to photograph him. This is a non-breeding adult dark morph of the Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens). 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. The Reddish Egret is considered one of the most active herons, and is often seen on the move. It stalks its prey visually in shallow water far more actively than other herons and egrets, frequently running energetically and using the shadow of its wings to reduce glare on the water once it is in position to spear a fish; the result is a fascinating dance. Due to its bold, rapacious yet graceful feeding behavior, author Pete Dunne nicknamed the reddish egret "the Tyrannosaurus rex of the Flats". It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects. The bird's usual cry is a low, guttural croak. There is little information on Reddish Egret population trends or numbers, but the species appears to be declining.
Uploaded
July 29th, 2018
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