Great Egret

The Great Egret is a large, slender, entirely white heron with a long S-curved neck, a straight yellow-orange bill, and long black legs and feet. It is one of the most widespread heron species in the world, occurring on wetlands across every continent except Antarctica.

During the breeding season, adults grow long, delicate plumes called aigrettes from the back, which were historically hunted almost to the species' extinction for the millinery trade in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Public outrage over this plume hunting helped spark the modern bird conservation movement, and the Great Egret remains the symbol of the National Audubon Society in the United States.

Key field marks

• Entirely white plumage
• Long, straight yellow-orange bill
• Long black legs and feet
• Large size with a graceful, elongated neck

Similar species

• Snowy Egret: much smaller, with a black bill and bright yellow feet
• Little Egret: smaller, black bill, yellow feet, mainly found in the Old World
• Great White Heron (white morph of Great Blue Heron, Florida): larger and bulkier with yellow legs rather than black

Size, an all-yellow bill, and black legs together distinguish the Great Egret from all other white egrets and herons in most of its range.

Range and habitat

Great Egrets are found on nearly every continent, occupying freshwater and saltwater marshes, swamps, lake and river edges, and coastal estuaries, and are highly adaptable to a range of wetland types.

Migration

Northern populations migrate south in winter to warmer wetlands, while populations in tropical and subtropical regions are generally resident; post-breeding dispersal can carry individuals, especially juveniles, well beyond the usual breeding range.

Behavior

Great Egrets typically forage alone, standing motionless or walking slowly and deliberately through shallow water before striking rapidly with the bill; they roost and nest colonially, often alongside other herons and egrets.

Voice

Calls include a low, harsh croak, particularly given at breeding colonies or when disturbed, though the species is generally silent while foraging.

Feeding

They feed mainly on fish, but also take amphibians, insects, small reptiles, and occasionally small mammals or birds, using a patient stalk-and-strike hunting technique.

Nesting and breeding

Great Egrets nest colonially in trees or shrubs near water, building stick platform nests; both parents incubate the typically two to six pale blue-green eggs, and elegant breeding plumes are displayed prominently during courtship.