The bird uses its bill to zip its feathers back into shape. Then it s ready to fly. In addition to the stilt-like legs, these wading birds have several other evolutionary developments to their advantage. Their long necks, for example, make it easy to snatch their prey with stealth and speed. Temperatures rarely drop below freezing perfect for Sanibel s tropical mangrove trees.
Mangroves are saltwater plants that actually drive the local ecosystem.
The decaying of their leaves provides food for the small fish, crustaceans and algae the birds eat. The tricolor heron , also known as the Louisiana heron , is endowed with beautiful plumage during its breeding season. In the 1800s, these beautiful plumes were coveted by makers of ladies hats, and thousands of the birds were killed to feed the fashion frenzy. Several species of herons and egrets came close to extinction. In fact, one of the first projects of the National Audubon Society was to protect these wading birds, and today, the only thing anyone can take from these birds is their photograph.