[texbirds] Re: Unusual feeding behavior by Snowy Egret
- From: MBB22222@xxxxxxx
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 21:26:56 -0400 (EDT)
Hi Chuck,
This is a quite common Snowy behavior.
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/126562269
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_qPXf4Ib4U
I thought I uploaded more videos in the past but evidently I did not.
All the best
Mark
Mark B Bartosik
Houston, Texas
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/bird_behavior__videos
In a message dated 8/28/2013 7:39:58 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
gcwarbler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
TexBirders,
At Lake Creek Trail (Williamson Co.) yesterday, I watched a Snowy
Egret employ a foraging method I don't think I'd ever seen in that
species. This adult Snowy caught my eye because of its posture. It
had it's head low to the water and its bill about 1/3 to 1/2 submerged
at a shallow angle in the water. It didn't seem to be washing a food
item or washing off its bill. The bird would wiggle the tip of its
bill rapidly from side to side in the water, creating ripples and
watching for food items (small minnows, I presume). Periodically it
would stab at a fish that would approach. I saw it make a couple of
successful grabs with this technique; the fish taken were very small
(probably < 1").
I've seen Green Herons and Great-tailed Grackles both use a small fish
in their bill submerged slightly to "bait" other food items in but I'd
never seen a Snowy (or any other heron or egret) use this vibration
technique. I assume the technique was purposeful, learned, and
employed specifically for foraging in the shallow water. It made me
laugh because it almost looked like the egret was trying to blow
bubbles in the water.
Chuck Sexton
Austin, TX
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