Purple Heron / Reddish Egret

The Purple Heron, as Audubon called it, is now known as the Reddish Egret. Stately and elegant, this composition depicts the two different color morphs of the bird, with the dark morph on the right, and the white morph to the left.

John James Audubon painted this image while visiting the Florida Keys in the 1830’s. This bird can be seen in all of Florida and the Gulf coast of Texas.

Usually found alone near the water’s edge at the beach, the Reddish Egret is a very active hunter. When pursuing a fish, it will chase its prey through the shallow water, running and jumping in its attempts to find a meal.