General

Reddish Egret: Medium-sized egret with blue-gray body and shaggy, pale rufous head and neck. Bill is pink with dark tip. Legs are blue-gray. White morph has all-white plumage, black-tipped pink bill, and blue-gray legs. Sexes are similar. Juvenile of both forms is duller, has black bill.

Range and Habitat

Reddish Egret: Locally resident in extreme southern Florida and along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana; also occurs in Mexico and the West Indies. Preferred habitats include marshes, shallow bays, and lagoons.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

Generally silent

Interesting Facts

 Reddish Egret populations were devastated by commercial hunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when they were sought for their beautiful feathers.

 While populations have been recovering during the past century, this species is now threatened by the degradation and destruction of its preferred coastal habitat.

 According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, there are only 1,500 to 2,000 nesting pairs of reddish egrets in the United States.

 A group of egrets has many collective nouns, including a "congregation", "heronry", "RSVP", "skewer", and "wedge" of egrets.

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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