Birds Of A Feather: The Egret

By Bob Graham

In June’s Insiders’ News, Danita Brisson introduced readers to upcoming monthly articles, entitled “Birds Of A Feather”. In them, as advertised, we will look at some of the birds that can be found in and around San Miguel and how to tell them apart.  

With so many species to choose from, where to start? If it’s “all white” with readers, as good a place to start as any, is with the White Egrets. These birds inhabit our waterways and fields and are often seen flying from roosts to feeding sites in the morning and returning each evening. Some cultures consider seeing a white egret to be a good omen as they symbolize prosperity and success.  There are actually three species of these interesting white herons seen regularly in the San Miguel area. Firstly, there are the Great Egrets. As the name implies, they are the largest. 

However, identifying them by size, without the two other species to compare them to, is difficult. Rather, a much better way is to note their heavy, yellow bill, blackish legs and feet that extend well beyond the tail. Their neck is tucked inward forming an S-shape. This neck positioning is seen in other egrets in flight too but not as pronounced as with that of the Great Egret. These birds also have a slow heavy wingbeat, creating a noticeable push up-and-down motion. In breeding plumage, long fringe-like feathers trail from their backs well beyond their feet.

Next, we have the Snowy Egrets. Like Great Egrets, Snowy’s, as they are often called, are almost exclusively fish eaters, although I have a great photo of a Snowy eating a dragonfly. Snowy’s are easily distinguished from Great Egrets or Cattle Egrets by their rapid wing beat, slender black bill, black legs and bright yellow feet. What also tells them apart from the others are their yellow lores, the area at the base of the bill and around the eye. In breeding, Snowy Egrets develop graceful plumes on the head, neck and back and the color of the legs and bill can intensify. In some, the lores may become red and the feet orange. It is interesting to note that in most Snowy descriptions, leg color is listed as black where in fact only the front is black, while the back is rather a pale yellow.

Last, but certainly not least, are the Cattle Egrets. They are interesting in that they are an Old World species. Now they can be found throughout much of North America, as far north as parts of southern Canada. They are most often seen in fields in the company of cattle and other livestock, feeding on the insects that these creatures stir up. Nonbreeding Cattle Egrets in flight, with their entirely white bodies, darkish legs and yellow bill, look somewhat like down-sized Great Egrets, but with a very much shorter and less pronounced S-shaped neck. Because of their similar small size, they also can be mistaken for Snowy Egrets. In breeding plumage, Cattle Egrets are quite colorful! The most noticeable change is the orange-buff color now adorning the crown, back and fore neck. At the height of breeding season, the bill can also become red-orange and the legs a dusky-red. 

Egrets live communally. They prefer to be near waterways, and in tall trees, often nesting between 3 and 12 meters above the ground to avoid predators. Given their average lifespan of 15 years, and the fact that they produce 3 or 4 eggs per clutch, these colonies can expand rapidly under ideal conditions. Apparently they find those in San Miguel. Historically popular nesting sites in town have included Parque Juárez and El Chorro, which caused challenges for the grounds crew and visiting patrons alike. This year for the first time, dozens of nesting pairs have relocated along Salida a Celaya in the trees surrounding the Unidad Deportiva and the entrance to Los Frailes. Tall trees and even closer access to La Presa make this neighborhood popular with these harbingers of prosperity and success.