The Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) is one of North America’s most animated wading birds, known not just for its dusky rose and slate-gray plumage, but for its theatrical hunting style. Found along coastal lagoons, mudflats, and saltwater marshes from the southern U.S. to Central America, this egret doesn’t wait for prey — it chases it.

With wings outstretched like sails, it runs, spins, and dashes through shallow waters, casting shadows to confuse fish before striking with lightning speed. These erratic, balletic moves make it unmistakable — and oddly mesmerizing to watch.

Despite its name, the Reddish Egret comes in two color morphs: the common dark morph, with a rusty neck and gray body, and the rarer white morph, completely snowy but behaving just the same. Both are agile, bold, and often solitary feeders.

It nests in coastal islands, building stick platforms in mangroves or shrubs, safe from ground predators. Once hunted for its plumes, the species declined sharply but is now slowly recovering — though it remains one of the least common egrets in the U.S.

Flamboyant. Focused. Born to move.