Diet

• Primarily small fish, shrimp, crabs, crayfish, frogs, aquatic insects, and other aquatic invertebrates.

• Also feeds on small reptiles and occasionally marine worms.

• Hunts by actively stalking prey, running through shallow water, stirring the substrate with its bright yellow feet, or standing motionless before striking with its slender black bill.

Range

• Found from the United States through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and much of South America to Chile and Argentina.

• Widespread throughout Mexico, including the Zihuatanejo region, where it is a common year-round resident.

• Inhabits freshwater marshes, rivers, lakes, mangroves, estuaries, coastal lagoons, mudflats, salt marshes, and tidal flats.

• Northern populations migrate south during winter, while birds in Mexico are largely resident.

Male / Female

• Male: Pure white plumage with a slender black bill, black legs, and distinctive bright yellow feet ("golden slippers"). During the breeding season, develops long, delicate plumes on the head, neck, and back and is slightly larger than the female.

• Female: Nearly identical in appearance but generally slightly smaller with somewhat shorter breeding plumes.

• Sexes cannot be reliably distinguished in the field except by subtle size differences or breeding behaviour.

Size

• Length: 56–66 cm (22–26 in)

• Wingspan: 95–105 cm (37–41 in)

• Weight: 300–550 g (10.6–19.4 oz)