"The King of the Hill"
Ever play that game? Well, this is he!
A Snowy Egret in mating Plumage
By far my favorite of the long leg wading birds, the Snowy egret stands only two feet tall and weighs only 13 ounces but has a serious Napoleonic complex. This is the bird which was hunted during the 1920’s into practical extinction because of the demand for feathers used in ladies hats and boas. The Government stepped in and discontinued hunting rights and the bird is now a popular critter to watch in the shallow backwaters and tributaries. Small but feisty he will fight with anyone including his own mate. The comb on the top of the head is raised and wings spread as he attacks any intruder to his domain. They present a very agitated state when angry but are steadfast feeders. In just about all the images I have made of this bird, attitude is exuded both in body posture and facial presentations. Normally this bird is identified by its size, yellow feet, and yellow lores (area around the eye). During mating season the feet and lores turn a deep reddish orange on males and females.
Ever play that game? Well, this is he!
A Snowy Egret in mating Plumage
By far my favorite of the long leg wading birds, the Snowy egret stands only two feet tall and weighs only 13 ounces but has a serious Napoleonic complex. This is the bird which was hunted during the 1920’s into practical extinction because of the demand for feathers used in ladies hats and boas. The Government stepped in and discontinued hunting rights and the bird is now a popular critter to watch in the shallow backwaters and tributaries. Small but feisty he will fight with anyone including his own mate. The comb on the top of the head is raised and wings spread as he attacks any intruder to his domain. They present a very agitated state when angry but are steadfast feeders. In just about all the images I have made of this bird, attitude is exuded both in body posture and facial presentations. Normally this bird is identified by its size, yellow feet, and yellow lores (area around the eye). During mating season the feet and lores turn a deep reddish orange on males and females.
No comments:
Post a Comment