WINTER/SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 35
Photo by Kristen Lococo
Photo by Jacob Zadik
Due to its familiar stature and appearance similar to little
blue and tri-colored herons, you may have to take a second or
third glance to realize you are looking at a rather rare visitor
to South Carolina. It is the shaggy “reddish” neck that gives
this bird both its name and its distinguished appearance.
Though it is a beautiful bird, it is not its color tones that most
allure. You can best appreciate the true enchantment of its
foraging behaviors by patiently observing a reddish egret
from a comfortable distance.
Elements of patience, tenacity and seduction are all
munitions in a reddish egret’s arsenal. At times, the reddish
egret may be sitting still, slightly bent over, with its wings
extended over its head, creating a small dome over the water.
This is perhaps done to lure small fish and crustaceans to a
seemingly safe, shaded environment; or maybe this technique
is designed to reduce the glare of the water’s surface. Finally,
endless patience will seem to succumb to the awkward
posture, and a dagger-like beak will dart to the surface of the
water at a lightning fast speed. With such precision, there is
little chance for its prey to avoid being snatched.
The designation of this most active heron comes from
another foraging behavior entirely. On Kiawah, this bird is
most commonly sighted near the inlets of the Kiawah River.
They will most often be seen frolicking in the surf, pacing up
and down, almost sprinting several meters and snatching fish
caught in the tidal currents. Their demeanor will remind you
of their relation to dinosaurs.
When the tide fully recedes in these areas, there are large
expanses of pacified tidal pools. However, these tidal pools
in their stillness will not be left undisturbed for long. This
is where you will see the reddish egrets jumping, twirling,
and dancing, startling fish from their benthic refuge into a
dangerous realm of bewilderment as they attempt to escape.
You will even see fish breach the surface of the water, only
to be plucked out of the air by the relentless reddish egret’s
partially pink bill.
This bird’s reemergence in South Carolina is definitely
a more recent phenomenon. The reddish egret is still
recognized as a threatened species, and this status, a step
up from its endangerment, was a result of overhunting in
the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their recovery has
been slow due to limited availability of nesting grounds.
Differing from other herons and egrets that suffered similar
population declines and who utilize more inland nesting
grounds, the reddish egret restricts its nesting to coastal areas.
The growing population of visiting reddish egrets is a true
testament to the well-kept coastal habitats and barrier islands
in South Carolina. Continued preservation of coastal habitats
will increase the numbers of this intriguing bird and other
members of the Ardeidae family. NK
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