WATER BIRDS. 



141 



73. Lesser Egret. Egretta candidissima candidissima (GmeL). (1Q7) 



Synonyms: Little Egret, Sno\vy Egret, Common Egret, Snowy Heron, Little White 

 Heron. — Ardea candidissima, GmeL, 1789, Wils., Nutt., And., and others. Garzetta can- 

 didissima, Bonap., 1855, Baird, Ridgw., Coues and most recent authors. 



Figure 34. 



Known by its small size, pure white color, and in the breeding season 

 by the pecuHar plumes known as ''aigrettes." 



Distribution.— Temperate and tropical America, from Long Island and 

 Oregon south to the Argentine Republic and Chili, casually to Nova Scotia 

 and southern British Columbia. 



This species is much rarer in Michigan than the preceding. In fact its 

 presence here must be considered merely accidental. Formerly it may 



have occurred regularly in the 



southern tier of countieg, but there 

 is little to indicate that such was the 

 case. There are a few good records 

 for the state. Mr. Norman A. 

 Wood of Ann Arbor has a mounted 

 specimen in his collection which he 

 informs us was taken about four 

 miles from Ann Arbor, on the 

 Huron River, April 20, 1895. Ac- 

 cording to marginal notes in Mr. A. 

 B. Covert's copy of Cook's "Birds 

 of Michigan," he (Mr. Covert) took 

 a specimen near Ann Arbor in June 

 1895, and "an adult male in full 

 plumage, Aug. 17, 1874." He has 

 also recorded the capture of a 

 specimen at Ann Arbor, April 9, 

 1872 (Forest & Stream, VII, 10, 

 147). In his manuscript list (1894-95) however, he states that all 

 specimens taken in the state so far as he knows have occurred in the month 

 of August. 



Dr. Gibbs states that "A specimen was collected in Kalamazoo county, 

 August 6, 1877, and is in the collection^of G. B. Sudworth. The species 

 is not mentioned in the lists of Boies, Trombley, Miles, Steere, Hughes, 

 Sager, Cabot or Stockwell." Mr.' Amos Butler states that "It is a not 

 common migrant and summer resident in the southern part of the state; 

 breeding locally in the lower Wabash Valle3^ Mr. Ridgway saj^s that it 

 bred in Knox and Gibson counties, and J. A. Balmer says that although 

 they varied in numbers from year to year they were quite constant summer 

 residents in Knox county. In 1890 they were common about Swans Pond. 

 This so far as known is their most northern breeding ground. After 

 breeding they roam over the country, soon extending their journeys, as 

 may be gathered by reported occurrences, into Michigan, Ontario, and 

 Manitoba" (Birds of Indiana, 1897, 662). Kumlien & Hollister say "A 

 rare and irregular visitor from the south during August and September. 

 Of late years very rare. We have never been able to trace a capture of 



From Bird 



Fig. 34 

 Lore. 



Lesser Egret. 

 ;. (Courtesy of Frank M. 

 Chapman.) 



