Battle of the Egrets

The Battle of the Egrets
Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, CA
Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Snowy egrets like to get into territorial tussles. When they do, it’s like watching angels break out into a fistfight. Calm, elegant beauty suddenly devolves into a frenzy of feathers and jabbing limbs. They become wild, acrobatic and aggressive but the altercation usually ends as abruptly as it started.

Locally, snowy egrets are sporting their long lacy breeding plumage on their heads, necks and backs. It becomes especially visible when they are excited through courtship or disputes.