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Many birds in the family Ardeidae (herons, egrets and
bitterns) nest together in large, mixed-species colonies,
called heronries or rookeries. Living in groups can be
risky: it may mean increased aggression and
exposure to parasites (lice, etc.) and disease. But nesting
in
colonies
is
thought to be beneficial because 1) more individuals
means more eyes watching out for predators and 2) individuals
can use one another as sources of information (where
food is, for instance).
The following video was taken at the rookery
at the Smith Oaks bird sanctuary in High Island,
Texas.
Video (1 minute, 27 seconds)
Images on TIDES:
Herons and egrets
Birds on TIDES
Related Links:
American alligator
Roseate spoonbill
Great egret
Cattle egret vs. snowy egret
Snowy egret
Back to Birds
Photo courtesy of Brent Burt,
Department of Biology, SFASU
Video: Priscilla Coulter, SFASU Library |