Reddish Egret
Reddish Egret has collapsed: down 83% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Reddish Egret
The Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) is a North American member of the Herons, Egrets & Bitterns (Ardeidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.
- Size
- 12–51 in long (30–130 cm) — a long-legged wader (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
- Range
- Recorded on 39 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 4 states, most concentrated in the Peninsular Florida.
- Family
- Ardeidae · Wetland birds
Notable Reddish Egret Trends
No notable trend signals for Reddish Egret. See the full index history below.
Reddish Egret Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Reddish Egret is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.01 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±426.1%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2026 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2027 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2028 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| 2029 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
Where the Reddish Egret Is Detected
BBS routes recording Reddish Egret, sized by most recent count.
Reddish Egret Population Trend by State
| Alabama | -72% | 1984 | 3 |
| Florida | -73% | 1968 | 20 |
| Louisiana | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Texas | -70% | 1975 | 14 |
Reddish Egret Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | -78% | 1981 | 8 |
| Peninsular Florida | -64% | 1968 | 15 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | -56% | 1979 | 13 |
Reddish Egret Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 83% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.