Great White Egret

Great White Egret

3d art render of a Great Whit Egret standing in water waiting for a little fish to come along.

Made with bryce 3d. And Ken Gilliland’s, songbird Remix, Shorebirds

The Great Egret is a large bird with all-white
plumage that can reach one meter in height
and weigh up to 950 grams (2.1 lb). It is thus
only slightly smaller than the Great Blue or
Grey Heron (A. cinerea). Apart from size, the
Great Egret can be distinguished from other
white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs
and feet, though the bill may become darker
and the lower legs lighter in the breeding
season. In breeding plumage, delicate
ornamental feathers are borne on the back.

Males and females are identical in appearance;
juveniles look like non-breeding adults.
In flightIt has a slow flight, with its neck
retracted. This is characteristic of herons and
bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks,
cranes, ibises and spoonbills, which extend
their necks in flight.

The Great Egret is not normally a vocal bird;
at breeding colonies, however, it often gives a
loud croaking cuk cuk cuk. They are very
majestic birds, they had almost went extinct
around 1933 until they made a reserve for
them, bald eagles, and other migoratory birds,
it was succsesful!

Like all egrets, it is a member of the heron
family, Ardeidae. Traditionally classified with
the storks in the Ciconiiformes, the Ardeidae
might in fact be closer relatives of pelicans and
belong in the Pelecaniformes instead. The
Great Egret – unlike the typical egrets – does
not belong to the genus Egretta but together
with the great herons is today placed in Ardea.
In the past, however, it was sometimes placed
in Egretta or separated in a monotypic genus
Casmerodius.

Subspecies
There are four subspecies in various parts of
the world, which differ but little. Differences
are bare part coloration in the breeding season
and size; the largest subspecies is A. a. modesta.
Ardea alba alba from Europe
Ardea alba egretta from Americas
Ardea alba melanorhynchos from Africa
Ardea alba modesta from Asia and Australasia,
sometimes considered a full species, the
Eastern Great Egret (Ardea modesta)

The Great Egret is partially migratory, with
northern hemisphere birds moving south from
areas with cold winters. It breeds in colonies in
trees close to large lakes with reed beds or
other extensive wetlands. It builds a bulky stick
nest.

Although generally a very successful species
with a large and expanding range, the Great
Egret is highly endangered in New Zealand,
with only one breeding site at Okarito Lagoon.
In North America, large numbers of Great

Egrets were killed around the end of the 19th
century so that their plumes could be used to
decorate hats. Numbers have since recovered
as a result of conservation measures. Its range
has expanded as far north as southern Canada.
However, in some parts of the southern
United States, its numbers have declined due
to habitat loss. Nevertheless, it adapts well to
human habitation and can be readily seen near
wetlands and bodies of water in urban and
suburban areas. In 1953 the Great Egret in
flight was chosen as the symbol of the National
Audubon Society, which was formed in part to
prevent the killing of birds for their feathers.

They are Protected in Australia under the
National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974.

The Great Egret is one of the species to which
the Agreement on the Conservation of
African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds
(AEWA) applies.

The Great Egret feeds in shallow water or
drier habitats, feeding mainly on fish, frogs,
small mammals, and occasionally small birds
and reptiles, spearing them with its long, sharp
bill most of the time by standing still and
allowing the prey to come within its striking
distance of its bill which it uses as a spear. It
will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly
stalk its victim. It is a common species, usually
easily seen.

Though it might appear that they feed on the
parasites off buffalos, they actually feed on
leaf hoppers, grass hoppers and other insects
which are stirred open as buffalos move about
in water.

Great White Egret belongs to the following groups:

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