"Colonies"

#13471394

19 Mar 2026

A pair of nesting cattle egrets at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida, on March 18, 2026. Cattle egret chicks hatch after 21-25 days of incubation and fledge around 4-6 weeks later, often in dense mixed-species colonies.

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#13471395

19 Mar 2026

A pair of nesting cattle egrets at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida, on March 18, 2026. Cattle egret chicks hatch after 21-25 days of incubation and fledge around 4-6 weeks later, often in dense mixed-species colonies.

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#13471396

19 Mar 2026

A pair of nesting cattle egrets at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida, on March 18, 2026. Cattle egret chicks hatch after 21-25 days of incubation and fledge around 4-6 weeks later, often in dense mixed-species colonies.

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#13471397

19 Mar 2026

A pair of nesting cattle egrets at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida, on March 18, 2026. Cattle egret chicks hatch after 21-25 days of incubation and fledge around 4-6 weeks later, often in dense mixed-species colonies.

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#13471398

19 Mar 2026

A pair of nesting cattle egrets at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida, on March 18, 2026. Cattle egret chicks hatch after 21-25 days of incubation and fledge around 4-6 weeks later, often in dense mixed-species colonies.

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#13451593

15 Mar 2026

A roseate spoonbill flies in with large nesting material back to its nest at Orlando Wetlands in Christmas, Florida, on March 14, 2026. Males gather sticks while females build the bulky platform nests in colonies over water; both parents incubate 2-4 eggs for 22 days and regurgitate shrimp, fish, and crustaceans to feed downy chicks until fledging at 6 weeks.

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#13451594

15 Mar 2026

A roseate spoonbill flies in with large nesting material back to its nest at Orlando Wetlands in Christmas, Florida, on March 14, 2026. Males gather sticks while females build the bulky platform nests in colonies over water; both parents incubate 2-4 eggs for 22 days and regurgitate shrimp, fish, and crustaceans to feed downy chicks until fledging at 6 weeks.

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#13451595

15 Mar 2026

A roseate spoonbill flies in with large nesting material back to its nest at Orlando Wetlands in Christmas, Florida, on March 14, 2026. Males gather sticks while females build the bulky platform nests in colonies over water; both parents incubate 2-4 eggs for 22 days and regurgitate shrimp, fish, and crustaceans to feed downy chicks until fledging at 6 weeks.

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#13451596

15 Mar 2026

A roseate spoonbill flies in with large nesting material back to its nest at Orlando Wetlands in Christmas, Florida, on March 14, 2026. Males gather sticks while females build the bulky platform nests in colonies over water; both parents incubate 2-4 eggs for 22 days and regurgitate shrimp, fish, and crustaceans to feed downy chicks until fledging at 6 weeks.

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#13160141

6 Jan 2026

A great blue heron in breeding plumage performs a mating display ritual in Delray Beach, Florida, on January 5, 2026. Males arrive first to select nest sites, stretch necks upward, and clapper bills to court females during the noisy colonial breeding season. Once paired, they share incubation of two to six pale blue eggs in platform nests built high in trees over water.

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#13160142

6 Jan 2026

A great blue heron in breeding plumage performs a territorial display to ward off other birds from its nest in Delray Beach, Florida, on January 5, 2026. Males arrive first to select nest sites, stretch their necks upward, and clapper their bills to court females during the noisy colonial breeding season. Once paired, they share the incubation of two to six pale blue eggs in platform nests built high in trees over water.

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#13160143

6 Jan 2026

A great blue heron in breeding plumage performs a mating display ritual at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida, on January 5, 2026. Males arrive first to select nest sites, stretch their necks upward, and clapper their bills to court females during the noisy colonial breeding season. Once paired, they share the incubation of two to six pale blue eggs in platform nests built high in trees over water.

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#13160144

6 Jan 2026

A great blue heron in breeding plumage performs a territorial display to ward off other birds from its nest in Delray Beach, Florida, on January 5, 2026. Males arrive first to select nest sites, stretch their necks upward, and clapper their bills to court females during the noisy colonial breeding season. Once paired, they share the incubation of two to six pale blue eggs in platform nests built high in trees over water.

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#13160083

6 Jan 2026

A great blue heron perches atop its nest at Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach, Florida, on January 5, 2026. Great blue herons breed in noisy colonies in trees over water, where pairs share incubation of two to six pale blue eggs. Chicks remain in the nest for nearly two months, fed regurgitated food by both parents before fledging.

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#13160084

6 Jan 2026

A great blue heron perches atop its nest at Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach, Florida, on January 5, 2026. Great blue herons breed in noisy colonies in trees over water, where pairs share incubation of two to six pale blue eggs. Chicks remain in the nest for nearly two months, fed regurgitated food by both parents before fledging.

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#13146524

1 Jan 2026

A roseate spoonbill and a great egret perch on a tree at the Orlando Wetlands in Christmas, Florida, on December 31, 2025. These two species often coexist in mixed-species colonies called rookeries, where they share nesting space in trees or shrubs to benefit from mutual protection against predators.

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