CreatureData

Reddish egret

Egretta rufescens (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)

NTNear Threatenedbirds

The reddish egret (Egretta rufescens) is a species in the family Ardeidae, order Pelecaniformes. Recorded adults weigh 613.8 g to 614 g and live up to 12.3 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Near Threatened.

Reddish egret (Egretta rufescens)
Photo: Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the reddish egret

Weight
614 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Wingspan
1.17 msrc for Wingspan
Lifespan
12.3 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Aquatic predatorsrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
22 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
coastalsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
25.5 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
3.5src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
4 yearssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
1src for Litters or clutches a year
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

How big is the reddish egret?

REDDISH EGRET · WINGSPAN 1.17 MADULT HUMAN · HEIGHT 1.7 M
At 1.17 m, the recorded maximum wingspan of the reddish egret is about 69% of the height of an adult human (1.7 m, a fixed reference used for scale).

Where does the reddish egret live?

Not recorded

What is the reddish egret?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The reddish egret (Egretta rufescens) is a medium-sized heron that is a resident breeder in Central America, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, the Gulf Coast of the United States (primarily Texas), and Mexico. The egret is known for its unusual foraging behavior compared to other herons as well as its association with mud flats, its habitat of choice.

In the past, this bird was a victim of the plume trade and is North America's "rarest and least studied ardeid."

From the Wikipedia article “Reddish egret” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reddish_egret&oldid=1372658929), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the reddish egret endangered?

The reddish egret is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List: it is close to qualifying as threatened.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Near Threatened species.

How is the reddish egret classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPelecaniformes
  5. familyArdeidae
  6. genusEgretta
  7. SpeciesEgretta rufescens (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)

Synonyms Ardea rufa, Ardea rufescens, Dichromanassa rufa, Dichromanassa rufescens, Hydranassa rufescens, Hydranassa rufescens rufescens

Other names and names in other languages (49)
  • بلشون حمراويArabic
  • Червеникава чаплаBulgarian
  • Herlegon arrousBreton
  • martinet rogencCatalan
  • volavka červenaváCzech
  • crëyr cochWelsh
  • RusthejreDanish
  • RötelreiherGerman
  • Ruĝeca egretoEsperanto
  • rufeta egretardeoEsperanto
  • Garza RojizaSpanish
  • Garceta rojizaSpanish
  • tantsuhaigurEstonian
  • قار قرمزPersian
  • klovnihaikaraFinnish
  • Aigrette roussâtreFrench
  • Éigrit ruaIrish
  • Coar-vane ruyManx
  • Krabye tèt woujHaitian Creole
  • לבנית אדמדמהHebrew
  • crvenkasta čapljaCroatian
  • vörhenyes kócsagHungarian
  • Garzetta rossastraItalian
  • Garzetta rugginosaItalian
  • アカクロサギJapanese
  • rausvasis garnysLithuanian
  • rudkakla gārnisLatvian
  • Toohjįʼ noołnahii łichíʼígííNavajo
  • roodhalsreigerDutch
  • Roodbruine reigerDutch
  • dansehegreNorwegian
  • Garsa CòráPapiamento
  • Garsa Kabes KanéPapiamento
  • Garsa KòráPapiamento
  • czapla rdzawoszyjaPolish
  • رتہ بگلاWestern Panjabi
  • garça-ruivaPortuguese
  • garça-avermelhadaPortuguese
  • Garça-vermelhaPortuguese
  • garça-vermelha-americanaPortuguese
  • Рыжеватая цапляRussian
  • Голубоногая цапляRussian
  • volavka strapatáSlovak
  • Riđa čapljaSerbian
  • rosthägerSwedish
  • Kızılca BalıkçılTurkish
  • чепура рудошияUkrainian
  • 棕頸鷺Chinese
  • 棕颈鹭Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the reddish egret

Other species in the same genus Egretta.

CompareReddish egret vs Little egretReddish egret vs Western reef heronReddish egret vs Pacific reef heronReddish egret vs Snowy egret

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the reddish egret?

An adult reddish egret weighs 614 g and has a wingspan of 1.17 m, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the reddish egret endangered?

The reddish egret is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is close to qualifying as threatened.

How long does the reddish egret live?

The reddish egret has a recorded lifespan of 12.3 years.

What kind of animal is the reddish egret?

The reddish egret (Egretta rufescens) belongs to the family Ardeidae in the order Pelecaniformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

Embed a card for this animal on your own site

Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.

Preview the card

APA

CreatureData. (2026). Reddish egret (Egretta rufescens). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/reddish-egret

MLA

“Reddish egret (Egretta rufescens).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/reddish-egret.

BibTeX
@misc{reddish_egret_2026,
  title = {Reddish egret (Egretta rufescens)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/reddish-egret},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}