Dolphin Tales: The plume hunters
This past Tues-day, I was walking onto the dock at Tarpon Lodge to get my boat ready for my first tour. I was surprised to see seven great white egrets standing on the rip-rap along the seawall. They hunt in shallow water or wetlands by standing still or wading slowly, using their long, sharp bills to spear prey. They primarily eat fish, but also consume frogs, tadpoles, snakes, lizards, crustaceans, insects and occasionally small rodents.
This very large bird has jet-black legs and a yellow beak. During the nesting season, the great egrets grow long feathers called “aigrettes.” The plumes grow from the upper back of the bird and are not tail feathers. The bird also displays a brilliant green color in front of the eyes during nesting season. This is called the “loral area.”
They are beautiful birds. In fact, between 1870 and 1930, the fashion industry was using large quantities of plumes from the birds for ladies hats and accessories. The demand was so great that the price of plumes rose to over $30 per ounce, more than the price of gold. Hundreds of thousands of birds were slaughtered in the Florida Everglades and other areas.
The most efficient way to harvest the birds was to shoot them in their nesting areas. This resulted in the death of the babies and unhatched eggs as well. Other species that did not produce plumes but nested in the same areas were driven off. One such bird was the roseate spoonbill. Extinction of many waterbird species was a real threat.
Federal legislation combined with private pressure and money from groups like the National Audubon Society turned the tide. Actually, the society was formed as a direct response to the slaughter of these birds and the displacement of other bird species. The Audubon Society adopted the great egret as its symbol to represent the success of their conservation efforts in rescuing species from the brink of extinction.
Captain Cathy Eagle has spent over 45 years boating on our local waters. As a professional Charter Captain, she specializes in Dolphin and Nature Tours. You can reach her at CaptainCathy.com or call /text 239 994-2572. Welcome aboard!