Reddish Egret

This reddish egret is obviously not reddish in color. Egretta rufescens comes in two morphs (“forms”): its eponymous reddish color, and white. The white morph is far less common, but otherwise identical. The reddish egret is our rarest and least studied member of the heron family. It, and all egrets, were hunted for their plumes nearly to the point of extirpation (local extinction) in the United States. In the late 1800s, millions of egrets were killed each year simply to decorate hats. Their feathers once sold for $32 per ounce, more than the price of gold at the time. Imagining the heartless killing of these beautiful creatures in the name of vanity, it is tempting to judge our ancestors as monsters, yet this was almost certainly not the case. Their monstrous acts, like so many others, were born of ignorance, a lack of knowledge. Thankfully, we saw the error of our ways and changed course in time, but just barely. Today, there are still only 1,500–2,000 mating pairs of reddish egrets in the United States, with most, including this individual, in Texas. For me, knowing that I was almost denied the privilege of witnessing this fragile, yet fierce bird dancing in the shallows is clear evidence that we must never stop learning.