The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret, great white egret,2 or great white heron,345 is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water. Great white egrets typically build their nests with other speciesof herons within a colony in swaps and wooded wetlands. Their homes are rathershabby being made of twigs, stems, and sticks, and on the treetops, as high aspossible. Found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and parts of Europe, these birds are often seen wading through wetlands, tidal flats and quiet streams.
Great White Egret Video
The average of this bird in the wild is 15 years, whereas,in captivity, they have been seen living for up to 22. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of policy instruments relating to this species – only a selection of key instruments are shown. Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data.
Justification for Red List category
Patient and precise, they stand motionless for minutes, waiting for just the right moment to deliver a lightning-fast strike. Fish are their main prey, but they also eat frogs, reptiles and even small mammals. In Canada, great egrets are seasonal visitors, commonly spotted in southern Ontario and southern Quebec during the warmer months.
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 nonbreeding adults.
- These herons, however, have been seento behave highly aggressive in many other situations even when food is available.
- They are adept hunters, using their sharp beaks to spear prey with remarkable precision.
- Once pushed to the brink by the global feather trade—driven in part by fashion trends across North America—their population plummeted by an estimated 95% in the late 1800s.
- Today, the great egret is a powerful conservation success story thanks to more than a century of legal protection and public action.
- The killing might have continued if not for two Boston socialites, Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall, who led a boycott of the feather trade.
Males and females are visually similar, making them hard to distinguish in the field. The males are generally slightly larger and heavier, but these differences are subtle and can be challenging to spot. The average age of sexual maturity of the young birds is about two years. A total of 16–24 pairs bred in 2019 (Eaton et al. 2021) and breeding numbers are expected to increase further in the coming years. We put these pages together to help people identify the birds they see when they’re out and about in the UK, however it’s very difficult to get a picture of each bird at each stage (at least it is for us!).
The malesof the species select a territory and exhibit a series of mating rituals inorder to attract a female for copulation. However, they would also eat small mammals, amphibians,reptiles, insects, and aquatic crustaceans. Once pushed to the brink by the global feather trade—driven in part by fashion trends across North America—their population plummeted by an estimated 95% in the late 1800s. The killing might have continued if not for two Boston socialites, Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall, who led a boycott of the feather trade. It also pushed Congress to pass the Weeks–McLean Law in 1913, which banned market hunting and protected migratory birds. Today, the great egret is a powerful conservation success story thanks to more than a century of legal protection and public action.
Other Birds in the UK
The Old World population is often referred to as the “great white egret”. This species is sometimes confused with the great white heron of the Caribbean, which is a white morph of the closely related great blue heron. These aquatic birds are highly territorial especially duringthe time of feeding, nesting and courtship. They are diurnal in nature,foraging for food all day, while at dusk they flock together at one place fromsurrounding areas, forming communal roosts. Like other egret species, the expansion of Great White Egret into the UK has followed increases on the continent and an expansion north and west across Europe.
- Their homes are rathershabby being made of twigs, stems, and sticks, and on the treetops, as high aspossible.
- These birds have the ability to reproduce after two years and can raise one brood each year.
- A total of 16–24 pairs bred in 2019 (Eaton et al. 2021) and breeding numbers are expected to increase further in the coming years.
- During the breeding season, their vocalisations include loud croaking and high-pitched squawks.
- Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of policy instruments relating to this species – only a selection of key instruments are shown.
- Patient and precise, they stand motionless for minutes, waiting for just the right moment to deliver a lightning-fast strike.
IUCN Red List assessment
The key drivers behind this expansion are unclear, but contributing factors may include increases and improvements to habitat, reduced persecution and improved legal protection and climate change (?awicki 2014). The great egrets do not have any non-human predators, exceptfor their eggs (or sometimes the young juveniles and chicks) that are sometimespredated by jays, crows, vultures, and raccoons. Great egrets are found in a wide variety of aquatic habitatsincluding lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, estuaries, marsh, swamps, bogs, andcoastal and brackish waters. Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location. Traditionally classified with the storks in the Ciconiiformes, the Ardeidae are 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. Typically silent, Great White Egrets emit a low, hoarse croak when disturbed.
However, after breeding, they often disperse and join thegroup, often accompanied by young birds, leaving out on long journeys. Likemany heron species, they snatch or rob away food from other heron species, andin fact, they rob a rather higher percentage of food from other species ofsmall herons. The Great Egretis a species of milky white herons found in several tropical and temperate regionsacross all the continents except Australia. They are found foraging for fish inthe quiet waters in the wild, and are known in various names like common egret,large egret, great white egret, and great white heron. While the clutch size is 3 to 4, their breeding season begins around the mid of April.
Bird Calls & Songs (the unique voices of Great White Egrets)
EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher’s records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. Considering their static growth in population, the IUCN 3.2has enlisted them as ‘LC’ (Least Concern). We rely on donations to keep this service running and help birds thrive around the world. Note that a change in IUCN Red List category does not necessarily indicate a genuine change in the status of the species, but may simply reflect improved knowledge of the species’ status. Great White Egrets are more likely to be blazespins casino seen in winter than at other times of year, but can now be seen year-round at many southern locations.
Causes of Change and Solutions
These birds have the ability to reproduce after two years and can raise one brood each year. Great white egrets also fight for food within their own communitythat can reach the level of aggression. These herons, however, have been seento behave highly aggressive in many other situations even when food is available. A bird of wetland and marsh, the Great White Egret is one of a small group of Continental heron species that have expanded their breeding ranges northwards and joined our avifauna.
