Category: Ciconiiformes

Aplomado Falcon Steals Prey From Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 2 abstract A juvenile male Aplomado Falcon (Falcofemoralis) was observed to steal crayfish(Cambarus diogenes) from Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea). Crayfish are not known tobe a common prey item of the Aplomado Falcon. To our knowledge this is the first instanceof piracy reported for this falcon. Falcons of […]

Predation as a selective force on foraging herons: effects of plumage color and flocking

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 6 abstract Experiments using model herons in natural mangrove habitats demonstrated that more hawks are attracted to white than to blue herons. Both Common Black-Hawks (Buteogalluas nthracinus) and crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) were observed preying on adult herons in Panama. Solitary herons were at greater risk than flocked foragers. […]

Notes on the plumages and generic status of the Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 3 abstract The juvenal plumage of the Little Blue Heron (Florida caerulea) has always been described as white with dull brownish gray tips to the primaries (Palmer, 1962: 428, and earlier authors). In September 1962, when Dickermanw as collectingb lood specimensfr om nestling h rons in a large […]

Influence of plumage colour on prey response:does habitat alter heron crypsis to prey?

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 5 abstract The foraging strategies of wading birds may be influenced by their degree of crypsis to aquatic prey. Whiteplumage has been hypothesized to be adaptive for herons hunting in open water habitats. We tested thishypothesis with laboratory and field experiments with multiple prey species.We investigated the responseof […]

Breeding biology of the little blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) in southeastern Brazil.

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) Science Article 1 abstract The breeding biology of Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea) nesting in Santos-Cubatao, southeastern Brazil, was studied during the 1997 (75 monitored nests) and 1998 (65 nests) breeding seasons in one colony (Saboo River), and during the 1997 season (58 nests) in another colony nearby (Morrao River). […]

Natural Infection of a Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) with Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus

Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) Science Article 1 abstract In July 2001, a great egret (Casmerodius albus) was found dead in CharltonCounty, Georgia (USA) and submitted to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study Nicole L. Gottdenker et al, Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 39(3), 2003, pp. 702-706 Download article download full text (pdf)

Water depth selection during foraging and efficiency in prey captureby the egrets Casmerodius albus and Egretta thula (Aves, Ardeidae)in an urban lagoon in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) Science Article 2 abstract This study aimed to evaluate the water depth selection during foraging, the efficiency in prey capture, and the food items captured by Casmerodius albus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Egretta thula (Molina, 1782). The work was conducted at an urban lagoon, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Rio de Janeiro Aline […]

Behaviours influencing the distribution of great blue herons (ardea herodias fannini) in the strait of Georgia, British Columbia

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Science Article 14 abstract The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias fannini), a nonmigratory subspecies endemic to the Pacific Northwest of North America, is COSEWIC-listed in Canada as a species of ‘special concern’. The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), conducted since 1969, indicate an ongoing decline in numbers. Recent findings show that […]

Age differences in Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis foraging with wild ungulates in Kenya

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) Science Article 10 abstract The foraging behavior of adult and juvenile Cattle Egrets was studied at Nairobi Park, Kenya. Egrets fed on insects scared up by foraging Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest and Hartebeest. Adults attempted to capture more items, capture more items, and had higher capture success rates than juveniles, although the […]

Promiscuity in the cattle egret (bubulcus ibis)

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) Science Article 3 abstract Among 19 pairs of individually marked Cattle Egrets( Bubulcus ibis)c a. 3 in 10 successful copulations were extrapair. Extrapair copulations potentially increased the reproductive successof five of the males by 18.6% on average. An anticuckoldry strategy was evident in the male’s constant attendance at or near his […]