I was recently bike riding near the fire station and saw these Snowy Egrets in the marsh hopping around and flapping their wings. What were they doing? -Anonymous
Answer: These are Snowy Egrets and according to The Cornell Lab All About Birds, Snowy Egrets hop for a couple of reasons – foraging for food and territorial displays.
“Snowy Egrets feed while standing, walking, running, or hopping, and they may vibrate their bills, sway their heads, or flick their wings as part of prey gathering. They even forage while hovering.”
“While they may employ a sit-and-wait technique to capture their food, sometimes they are much more animated, running back and forth through the water with their wings spread, chasing their prey.”
They also give a similar territorial display during courtship, and when defending the immediate area around their nest.
Answer by: Gina Sanders
SIB 