Steve G
RAINBIRDER
Egrets are renowned for their diversity of fishing behaviours. Black Egrets form an umbrella with their wings to draw in shade-loving fish & cut out glare. Little Egrets wiggle their yellow feet to flush small fish from their hiding places. Great White Egrets stand frozen for an eternity before suddenly lunging to spear their prey and of course Reddish Egrets dance through the shallows like maniacs presumably chasing fish out of their hiding places.
With all of the above I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised about another form of fishing behaviour with yet another Egret species. Dimorphic Egret is an entirely marine coastal east African species which is closely allied to Little Egret & Western Reef Heron with the three almost comprising a superspecies.
In coastal east Africa Little Egrets prefer freshwater & brackish creeks but avoid open shore or extensive mangrove mudflats. Western Reef Herons prefer hunting the shoreline or surf zone where they stealthily stalk in a creeping crouched position before a lightening quick spearthrust.
I had never seen Dimorphic Egret prior to a recent trip to coastal Kenya. During a birding trip to Mida creek I got a chance to watch some white-phase Dimorphic Egrets foraging. Each of these Egrets attached themselves to a feeding Sacred Ibis and followed the Ibis as it fed taking advantage of any small fish flushed in the process. The Sacred Ibises seemed mainly interested in molluscs & worms whilst the Egrets were snatching fish & small crabs. It was amazing to watch a number of Ibises each being followed & shadowed by a Dimorphic Egret with a number of these odd couples scattered across the Mida creek mudflats.
Whilst this behaviour is well-known to local birders it was new to me & seems not to be widely documented.
With all of the above I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised about another form of fishing behaviour with yet another Egret species. Dimorphic Egret is an entirely marine coastal east African species which is closely allied to Little Egret & Western Reef Heron with the three almost comprising a superspecies.
In coastal east Africa Little Egrets prefer freshwater & brackish creeks but avoid open shore or extensive mangrove mudflats. Western Reef Herons prefer hunting the shoreline or surf zone where they stealthily stalk in a creeping crouched position before a lightening quick spearthrust.
I had never seen Dimorphic Egret prior to a recent trip to coastal Kenya. During a birding trip to Mida creek I got a chance to watch some white-phase Dimorphic Egrets foraging. Each of these Egrets attached themselves to a feeding Sacred Ibis and followed the Ibis as it fed taking advantage of any small fish flushed in the process. The Sacred Ibises seemed mainly interested in molluscs & worms whilst the Egrets were snatching fish & small crabs. It was amazing to watch a number of Ibises each being followed & shadowed by a Dimorphic Egret with a number of these odd couples scattered across the Mida creek mudflats.
Whilst this behaviour is well-known to local birders it was new to me & seems not to be widely documented.
