Discover the nesting secrets of the Lowcountry’s wading birds

Inside the rookery

Story + Photography by Gwen Callas-Miller

Our Lowcountry wetlands and coastal waters provide rich habitats that attract a diverse array of wading birds during their annual nesting season. Wading birds typically nest in colonies, primarily selecting areas that offer safety and an abundance of food. The density of these colonies ensures more eyes are on alert to help protect nests from predators. A colony of nesting birds is known as a rookery.

Part of the excitement of nesting season is watching as the rookery transforms into a bustling neighborhood, with different parent species engaged in a flurry of mating behaviors, nest building, territorial spats and childcare — continuing until they become empty nesters. With a few exceptions, nesting season for wading birds in the Lowcountry typically runs from mid-March to mid-October.

The wading birds frequently found in our local rookeries include great egrets, snowy egrets, little blue herons, tricolored herons, black-crowned and yellow-crowned night herons, green herons, white ibises and wood storks. Roseate spoonbills have become increasingly common in the Lowcountry in recent years, much to the delight of birdwatchers who admire their striking pink color. Great blue herons often prefer nesting in colonies with other great blues rather than in multi-species rookeries.

Two well-known rookeries in Beaufort County are Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal and Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge. Both are surrounded by water, creating a natural safety buffer against predators such as raccoons, snakes and rats. One key factor in the success of these rookeries is the presence of alligators. While alligators occasionally seize the opportunity to snatch an unfortunate wading parent or fallen nestling, their presence helps protect the rookery by deterring many predators that prey on eggs and chicks.

Over the next few pages, you’ll discover useful insights for identifying common wading-bird species and understanding their nesting habits.

Marsh royalty: Great egrets

Great egrets are known for their long legs, S-shaped necks and striking mating plumage. During the spring mating season, they develop delicate, lacy plumes called aigrettes. Their lores — the area between their eyes and bills — turn from olive-yellow to a bright green. The male performs an intricate mating dance, fanning his plumes and lifting his bill skyward.

Great egrets select a new mate each year. The male chooses the nest location, and the pair works together to build a somewhat flimsy nest of stems, sticks and twigs. The female typically lays three to four pale blue-green eggs, which incubate for about 23 to 27 days. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and feeding their young. The offspring are usually ready to fly in six to seven weeks.

Like many other birds, great egrets were nearly wiped out in the 1800s when they were hunted for their long, lush feathers, which were highly sought after for adorning hats and clothing. At the time, their plumes were valued at twice the price of gold. Fortunately, protective laws were enacted, allowing their population to recover. Today the Lowcountry is graced with a thriving population of these elegant birds.

Golden slippers: Snowy egrets

Snowy egrets are medium-sized birds with big personalities. Their most recognizable feature is their bright yellow feet, often called “golden slippers.” Social by nature, snowy egrets forage well alongside other egrets and herons but are also highly vocal, especially when competing for nesting sites and mates. During mating season, the lores — the colored patch between their eyes and beak — change from bright yellow to a deep reddish hue, and their yellow feet darken slightly.

The male snowy egret begins building a nest before securing a mate. His courtship display is both loud and dramatic, involving body pumping with his bill pointed skyward, aerial tumbling and quick turns. Once he attracts a female, she completes the nest using materials he provides. Snowy egrets typically lay two to six pale greenish-blue eggs, which incubate for about 25 days.

It is believed that snowy egrets do not recognize their mates outside of their nesting site. To confirm their partner’s identity, they perform an elaborate greeting ritual upon returning to the nest. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, with the incoming parent often presenting a stick to the other during shift changes. On rare occasions snowy egrets have been known to mate with other species, such as tricolored herons, little blue herons and cattle egrets, producing hybrid offspring.

The tallest hunter: Great blue herons

Great blue herons are the most recognizable of the heron species and are commonly seen due to their adaptability to various habitats. Their overall coloration is grayish-blue, with a distinctive wide black stripe over the eye that blends into blue head plumes. They also have a striking yellow, dagger-like bill.

As the tallest heron species in North America, great blue herons stand at an impressive 4 1/2 feet tall with a wingspan of over 6 1/2 feet. Despite their large size, they weigh only 5–6 pounds due to their hollow bone structure. Their adaptable diet allows them to thrive in a wide range of waterways, ecosystems and climates, including swamps, marshes, rivers and lakes.

Great blue herons often breed in colonies with others of their species but may also nest in multi-species rookeries. The male selects a nesting site and performs a mating display to attract a partner. Once paired, both parents take turns incubating their three to six pale blue eggs for 25–30 days. The young take about 60 days to fledge.

Unique among birds, great blue herons have specialized “bib” feathers on their chest that grow continuously and never molt. Using their middle toe, they comb these feathers into a fine, talcum-like powder, which they then use to preen and groom their entire body. This powder absorbs fish oil and other debris and is believed to help condition their feathers.

Painted pirouettes: Tricolored herons

Standing about 25 inches tall, tricolored herons are larger than snowy egrets but smaller than great blue herons. Their name comes from their unique coloration, which features varying shades of bluish-gray, lavender along the neck and pure white on the chest and belly. The flash of white on their underside helps distinguish them in a rookery where multiple species are present. During mating season their lores turn a striking cobalt blue, and their legs change from yellow to a pinkish-red hue.

The male selects the nesting site and gathers sticks, twigs and grasses, which the female uses to build the nest. She typically lays three to five pale greenish-blue eggs, which hatch in about 21–25 days. Both parents take turns bringing food to the nestlings. The chicks grow quickly and remain in the nest for just over a month.

Tricolored herons are often seen foraging in the shallow waters of swamps and other waterways. They are known for their energetic hunting style, which includes pirouettes, sharp turns and sudden stops as they pursue fish and crustaceans. They may also use a technique called “canopy feeding,” where they form an umbrella with their wings to create a shaded area that lures fish into striking range.

From white to blue: Little blue herons

Little blue herons undergo a dramatic transformation from juvenile to adult. As adults, they are a striking grayish-blue with deep purple tones on the head and neck. Their legs are green, and they have a blue-gray bill with a dark tip. However, as nestlings and juveniles, little blue herons are entirely white, with tiny dark tips on their outer wings. At this stage, they are often mistaken for juvenile snowy egrets. The best way to differentiate them is by examining their bills and legs: little blue herons have a thicker gray-black bill and dull green legs, while juvenile snowy egrets have a thinner yellow-green bill and black legs.

Once paired for mating, the male gathers materials for the female to build their nest. A typical clutch consists of three to four pale bluish-green eggs, which incubate for approximately 22 days. During the nesting phase you might observe what appears to be an intense struggle between parent and young. Nestlings instinctively grab onto the parent’s bill, triggering regurgitation of food. As the chicks grow larger and stronger, feeding can become a challenge for the parent, as one wrong move could result in injury. Nestlings remain dependent on both parents for about six weeks.

In their second year of life, little blue herons display a striking calico pattern of white and blue as they transition from their juvenile plumage to adult coloration. By their third year they have fully developed their distinctive blue hues.

The fishing genius: Green herons

Green herons have a stocky build and reach about 16 inches in length, roughly the size of a crow. From a distance they appear dark, but in the right light their striking colors are revealed — a blue-green back and head, a reddish-brown neck and chest and soft gray wings with a cream-colored pattern. When threatened, they can raise their crown feathers into a crest.

Green herons are clever hunters and one of the few bird species known to use tools to fish. They drop insects or feathers onto the water’s surface to lure small fish, then swiftly spear or snatch them with their sharp bill. When not hunting, they tend to remain hidden within dense vegetation.

These herons nest in a variety of locations, often choosing shrubs or trees positioned over water. Nests can be built anywhere from ground level to more than 30 feet high in a tree. While they generally prefer to nest away from other birds, they may occasionally join colonies of their own species or other waders. The male selects the nesting site and begins construction to attract a mate. Once paired, he continues gathering sticks, passing them to the female as she arranges the nest to her liking.

The female typically lays two to five pale green eggs which hatch after 19-21 days. Nestlings remain in the nest for about 16 days, receiving food from both parents before fledging. Even after leaving the nest, young green herons often stay near their parents for several weeks as they learn to hunt.

Gentle giants: Wood storks

The wood stork is second only to the great blue heron in size and is the only native stork species in North America. Standing just over three feet tall with a five-foot wingspan, it is a striking presence in coastal wetlands. Its dominant plumage is white with black wingtips, and its unfeathered, scaly-looking head is one of its most distinctive and recognizable features. Wood storks can live long lives, with the oldest banded bird recorded at over 22 years.

Once classified as endangered, wood storks were moved to the protected list about a decade ago. However, many conservationists believe their survival remains a concern. They historically nested primarily in Florida, but agricultural expansion and changing rainfall patterns forced them to expand their range into the coastal marshes of the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama. In recent years the number of mating pairs in our area has grown, and they can be seen building nests in the tops of rookery shrubs at Port Royal’s Cypress Wetlands, among other locations.

Though physically large, wood storks are mild-mannered and make excellent neighbors. They are devoted mates and parents and rarely engage in territorial conflicts. They typically raise a single brood each year, consisting of two to four nestlings. The female lays three to five pale cream-colored eggs, and both parents share incubation duties for about 30 days. While heron species generally fledge in 30-45 days, wood stork hatchlings remain with their parents for approximately 55 days.

On particularly hot days, observant birdwatchers may spot a parent regurgitating water over its chicks or shading them with its wings to keep them cool. Nestlings are highly vocal and active, but as they mature and leave the nest, they lose their ability to vocalize. The loud cries of their youth are gradually replaced by soft hissing and grunting sounds.

Wings after dark: Night herons

We are fortunate to have both black-crowned and yellow-crowned night herons in our area. While they sometimes nest among other species, they often prefer colonies of their own. You can find them nesting in groups high up in large trees, typically 30 feet or higher. These herons are territorial and will readily defend their nests.

Both species typically lay two to five eggs, which incubate for around 24 days. As with many bird species, the eggs hatch at different times, resulting in noticeable size differences among the nestlings. The smallest of the clutch often struggles to compete with its larger siblings for food.

While adult yellow-crowned and black-crowned night herons are easy to distinguish, their immature forms share similar coloring and can be difficult to tell apart. A key identifier is the bill: juvenile yellow-crowned night herons have a thick black bill, whereas black-crowned juveniles have a bill with yellow and black tones, which gradually turns completely black as they mature.

Yellow-crowned night herons stand about two feet tall with a somewhat stocky, compact build. They have short legs and relatively large heads. Adults have a primarily soft gray body and are best identified by their black head with a white cheek patch and a yellow “crown” with plumes on top of their head. Juveniles are brown with white spots on their backs and wings.

The male black-crowned night heron initiates the nest-building process. Once he finds a mate, he continues collecting materials and passes them to the female, who arranges them into place. Interestingly, black-crowned night heron parents have been known to raise chicks of other species in their nests, apparently failing to recognize the difference.

Young black-crowned night herons leave the nest at around one month old but require another two weeks before they can fly. In the meantime, they move through the vegetation on foot, foraging for food.

Blushing beauties: Roseate spoonbills

Though still fewer in number compared to other wading birds nesting in the Lowcountry, the stunning Roseate Spoonbill — with its hot pink plumage, dark red eyes and partly bald head — has become a more frequent sight in recent years. Before this, spoonbills that made their way to our area were mostly errant juveniles or a few post-breeding wanderers.

Roseate spoonbills are considered the spoonbill species of the Americas, found from the southeastern U.S. to central Argentina. It is believed that their range is shifting northward due to climate change.

There are six species of spoonbills worldwide, and all but the roseate are white. They get their name from their distinctive, flat, kitchen tong-like bill, which they sweep side to side in the water while hunting for small fish and crustaceans. Like flamingos, their pink coloration comes from their diet. While their long legs, body shape and partly bald head resemble those of a wood stork, they are more closely related to ibises.

Spoonbills nest in rookeries alongside other wading bird species, with both the male and female sharing parenting duties. The female builds the nest with materials provided by the male and lays two to three white eggs speckled with brown. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for about 23 days. After hatching, they continue to feed the young, which fledge roughly five to seven weeks later. Interestingly, spoonbill chicks are not born with their characteristic flat bills — this distinctive shape fully develops by about six weeks of age.

Flock leaders: White ibises

White ibises are highly social birds that prefer to travel in flocks. They often forage and nest in the same areas as herons and egrets, but their nesting cycle begins as those species are in their final stages.

During courtship, males attract a mate with an elaborate display of head shaking and preening. The final step in mate selection is surprisingly aggressive — the male grabs and shakes the female by the head. Fortunately, the rest of their bonding process is more cordial, involving mutual preening and the exchange of sticks when they greet each other. Males become highly protective of both the nest and their mate, aggressively defending against other birds attempting to steal nesting materials or make advances toward their partner.

Parenting is a shared responsibility, with both the male and female incubating their two to four dull white, mottled brown eggs. The chicks leave the nest between five and eight weeks of age but remain in the colony until they are capable of foraging and fending for themselves.

White ibises undergo a dramatic color transformation over their first two to three years. As nestlings, they are dark brown with brown eyes and an orange bill with brown stripes. As they mature, their plumage becomes mottled brown and white. By adulthood they are entirely white except for their black-tipped wings, their striking blue eyes, a red bill and pinkish-red legs. LL