rhamphotheca:
The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
… is a small white heron. Adults are typically 24 inches in height with a wingspan of 3 1/2 feet. They have a slim black bill and long black legs with yellow feet. The area of the upper bill, in front of the eyes, is yellow but turns red during the breeding season, when the adults also gain recurved plumes on the back, making for a “shaggy” effect. The juvenile looks similar to the adult, but the base of the bill is paler, and a green or yellow line runs down the back of the legs.
During mating season, an adult will stick the feathers on their head up in the air and show them off to attract a mate. They do a mating stance that looks a lot like they are dancing. Once they have found a mate, they will build nests of sticks in shrubs a few feet off the ground. The female lays four or five pale, blue-green eggs. Then, the parents take turns guarding the nest and sitting on the eggs. After the eggs hatch, both parents care for the young. The parents feed the young birds regurgitated shrimp, young fish, insects, and amphibians. When the birds are three weeks old, they climb out of the nest and begin to explore their environment.
(via: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge)
Photo Credit: Robert Burton
Von. B. bbnhijic bj. N
Plpg
