Biggest colony of egrets local bird authority has ever seen put on show in southwest Fresno

A colony of egrets numbering in the hundreds call southwest Fresno home this winter.

They roost roughly in the area south of California Avenue, just east of West Avenue, and north of Jensen Avenue. They have been seen recently in ponding basins along West Avenue, high in adjacent tree tops and even the flat roof tops of the nearby Foster Farms chicken processing plant.

Most of the birds appear to be great egrets, according to Robert Snow, president of the Fresno Audubon Society who reviewed photos of the colony. It appears that other types of egrets have joined.

Snow said it’s the largest group he’s seen.

The great egret is distinctive for its black legs and feet and yellow bill. According to Jennifer Wesson, Fresno Chaffee Zoo curator of birds, great egrets are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

“This species is common year-round throughout the San Joaquin Valley and prefers to roost high in trees,” Wesson said. “These guys love marshes, ponds, mud flats, lakes, rivers and even coastal lagoons.”

The birds forage on insects, small fish, amphibians, reptiles and other assortments of wetland creatures.

Snow said egrets are becoming more common and are often seen in large flocks in the Fresno area. “They roost in Roeding Park near Playland and breed there in the spring.”

He said there are three types found locally: the great egret, the largest and with a yellow bill; the snowy egret with a black bill; and the cattle egret, which is smallest and has a rusty tinge.

A word to birdwatchers seeking to find these birds: they move around daily, so where the flock of hundreds may be seen in one location one day, there may be a few the next.

This story was originally published December 23, 2019 at 5:00 AM.