thephotosocietyのインスタグラム(thephotosociety) - 6月30日 09時46分

Photo by Medford Taylor @medfordtaylor
Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Florida 2019_ Great Egret parents feed their always hungry chicks by regurgitating the freshly caught fish and small amphibians. The elegant Great Egret is a dazzling sight in many a North American wetland. Slightly smaller and more svelte than a Great Blue Heron, these are still large birds with impressive wingspans. They hunt in classic heron fashion, standing immobile or wading through wetlands to capture fish with a deadly jab of their yellow bill. Great Egrets were hunted nearly to extinction for their plumes in the late nineteenth century, sparking conservation movements and some of the first laws to protect birds.
Not all young that hatch survive the nestling period. Aggression among nestlings is common and large chicks frequently kill their smaller siblings. This behavior, known as siblicide, is not uncommon among birds such as hawks, owls, and herons, and is often a result of poor breeding conditions in a given year.
Great egrets are diurnal feeders. In sunset, egrets of surrounding areas usually come together, roosting in colonies. They feed in shallow water, walking slowly and looking for prey. And when the prey is spotted, they abruptly thrust the bill into the water, catching it. They will also steal a great part of their food from smaller heron species. After breeding, these birds usually disperse. Egrets, living in mild climates, remain in their breeding areas throughout the winter while those, breeding in northern regions where water freezes during the winter, have to migrate. As many bird species, Great egrets become rather aggressive when it comes to feeding, even if there's abundance of food. Occasionally, even parents can fight for food with their young.
Great egrets are seasonally monogamous, mating once in a mating season and staying with their mates until the end of the season. Usually, males give a number of displays in order to attract the female. Then they select the territory. The breeding season starts in the middle of April, when the birds construct nests. (AllAboutBirds.org, Animalia.bio/great-egret) #greategrets #wakodatcheewetlands

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