Reddish Egret

Reddish Egret
[Reddish Egret - Photo by James Leupold,
USFWS Image Library]

The Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) has been identified as a focal species of management concern due to extremely low population sizes (1,000-2,000) in the United States, restricted breeding and wintering ranges, and specific habitat requirements. Reddish Egrets are found in coastal saltwater habitats throughout Central America and the Caribbean but in the U.S. are found only in the Gulf of Mexico coastal states with the largest numbers located in Texas. Populations were devastated in the 1800s and early 1900s because of harvesting of decorative egret plumes for use in women's hats. Populations have recovered slowly since harvesting was banned in 1918 but the species is still threatened by habitat loss and degradation. Human-caused disturbance at colony sites may also interrupt egret reproduction, but limited evidence is available. Predation by fire ants, fish crows, and grackles represents a serious threat to nestlings and eggs, especially in regularly disturbed colony sites. Detailed data on distribution, population status, and reproduction are needed for successful long-term management of this species.

Date: September 2008

Source:
Lowther, P. E., and R. T. Paul. 2002. Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) . The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.) 633.


Species Profile from NatureServe

Reddish Egret
Egretta rufescens

Description: A long-legged wader with a pink, black-tipped bill, and shaggy plumes on the bright rufous head (breeding adult); legs are cobalt blue; immature birds have a dark bill and are gray overall with some pale cinnamon on the head, neck, and inner wing; rarely the plumage is white; averages 76 cm long, 117 wingspan (NGS 1983).

Life History:

Generally nests in mixed colonies with other wading birds, but may nest alone or in small groups apart from other waders (Paul 1996). In Texas, birds typically aggregate into nesting colonies in March and most eggs are laid between mid-March and mid-April (Paul 1991); however, egg laying can begin as late as mid-June, and second clutches may occur as late as mid-July (McMurray 1971, Simersky 1971). In Florida Bay, nesting occurs virtually year-round, although in general, nesting in Florida begins in February. Elsewhere in the Carribean, nesting is generally winter-summer, but can occur year-round (Hancock and Kushlan 1984, Paul 1991).

An egg is laid every other day until the clutch is complete (McMurray 1971). Clutch size is usually three to four eggs, but occasionally five and very rarely six or seven (Bent 1926). In Texas, McMurray (1971) and Simersky (1971) found a mean of 3.1 eggs per nest (range = 1-6), and Paul (1991) found averages of 2.6-3.2 eggs. The average clutch size of 81 and 15 Florida clutches was 2.75 and 3.3 eggs, respectively (Paul 1991, Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Both sexes incubate the eggs for an average of 26 days (21-36 days; McMurray 1971, Paul 1991). Adults brood the young for another three weeks and feed the young by regurgitation for an additional six weeks (Paul 1991).

Hatching success of eggs ranges from 18-86 percent in Texas and Florida (McMurray 1971, Paul 1991, Simersky 1971). The lowest value was a result of bald eagle predation (Paul 1991). Fledging success in Texas varied from 37-77 percent; the lower figure due to human disturbance (McMurray 1971, Paul 1991). In Florida Bay, fledging success ranged from 4-62.5 percent (average = 36 percent). The lower value was caused by a food shortage which resulted in nestling starvation (Paul 1991). In studies of nesting success in Texas, the number of young fledged per nest was 0.4 (McMurray 1971), 0.7-0.9 (Simersky 1971), and 1.2-1.5 (Paul 1991). In two of these studies, researcher disturbance was thought to have negatively influenced nest success (McMurray 1971, Simersky 1971). In Florida, the number of young fledged per nest ranged from 0.09-1.8 (average = 0.6). Poor production was a result of predation and food scarcity (Paul 1991). Renesting attempts are not as successful as first nesting attempts (Simersky 1971). Although a few individuals mature when two years old, most do not breed until 3-4 years old (Paul 1991, Paul 1996).

Habitat:

Foraging: Shallow water (usually less than 15 centimeters deep); saline, hypersaline, or brackish coastal habitats including barren sand or mud tidal flats, salt ponds, lagoons, and open red mangrove (RHIZOPHORA MANGLE) and black mangrove (AVICENNIA GERMINANS) communities (Paul 1991, Stevenson and Anderson 1994, Stiles and Skutch 1989). Occasionally feeds in other habitats including coastal beaches, sparsely-vegetated freshwater marshes, and the shores of lake and reservoirs (Paul 1991).

Nesting: Typically nests on natural islands or man-made dredge spoil islands, but occasionally nests on the coastal mainland (Paul 1991). Nests are generally constructed in red, black, and white (LAGUNCULARIA RACEMOSA) mangroves, but also in terrestrial vegetation including Brazilian pepper (SCHINUS TEREBINTHEFOLIUS), cactus (OPUNTIA spp.), mesquite (PROSOPIS spp.), huisache (ACACIA spp.), ragweed (AMBROSIA ARTEMISIIFOLIA), sea oxeye daisy (BORRICHIA FRUTESCENS), sea purslane (SESUVIUM PORTULACASTRUM), camphor daisy (MACHAERANTHERA PHYLLOCEPHALA), and spanish bayonet (YUCCA spp.). Nests are generally constructed less than 3 meters above the ground or water, but can be as high as 6 meters (McMurray 1971, Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Sometimes nests are placed on the ground among low vegetation or on bare sand or shell beach ridges (Bent 1926, McMurray 1971, Paul 1991, Paul et al. 1979, Simersky 1971, Stevenson and Anderson 1994, Toland 1991).

Distribution:

United States: AL, AZ, CA, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, TX

Latin America: Antigua and Barbuda, Netherlands Antilles, Bahamas, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela

Status:

NatureServe Status: Global Status: G4, Global Status Last Reviewed: 20Nov1996, Global Status Last Changed: 20Nov1996, Rounded Global Status: G4 - Apparently Secure

Other Statuses: IUCN Red List Category: LC - Least concern

Resources:

Species Strategy

  • Action Plan [under development]

Taxonomy Helper

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Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Reddish Egret

    Kingdom: Animalia
    Division: Chordata
    Subdivision: Vertebrata
    Class: Aves
    Order: Ciconiiformes
    Family: Ardeidae
    Genus: Egretta
    Species: Egretta rufescens
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