28-3-2017 VILLA LAPAS, COSTA RICA - AMERICAN GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba ssp. egretta)

Great egrets are found in the Nearctic as far south as Texas, the Gulf coast states, and Florida up the Atlantic coast to Maine and southern Canada, and west to the Great Lakes. (Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 2000)

The ideal location for great egrets is near any form of water. Streams, lakes, ponds, mud flats, saltwater and freshwater marshes are inhabited by this beautiful bird. Wooded swamps and wetlands are the preferred location for great egrets and other heron species. (Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 2000)

Great egrets are less then 1 meter long from bill to tail, 1 meter tall, have a wingspan of 1.5 meters, and weigh about 912 to 1140 g. On average, males are larger than females. They are completely white with a long yellow bill and dark gray legs. During flight their neck is usually in an “S” shaped curve. They are very elegant birds with plumage resembling lace.

10-12-1991 EVERGLADES NAT PARK, FLORIDA - AMERICAN GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba ssp. egretta)

Second only to the Great Blue Heron in size, the Great Egret (Casmerodius albus), sometimes called the Great White Egret, is one of the largest of the wading birds that inhabit the Everglades. Standing over 4 feet in height with a wingspan of more than 50 inches, it is similar in appearance to the Snowy Egret but can be distinguished by its long black legs, black feet, stout yellow bill, and tremendous size. The Snowy Egret is smaller than the Great Egret and has a black bill and yellow feet.

The Great Egret also is often mistakenly identified as the Great White Heron, which is the white form of the Great Blue Heron. The heavier bill and pale legs of the Great White Heron are useful distinguishing characteristics. Like other herons, the Great Egret flies slowly and with its neck retracted, which is an easy way to distinguish it in flight from storks, cranes, ibises, and spoonbills, which extend their necks in flight.

 

The fishing habits of Great Egrets are among the most efficient of all birds. Great Egrets stalk their prey by slowly walking or standing motionless in the shallows and forage with their webbed feet, raking and probing the bottom, and snapping up fish in a matter of milliseconds with their quick bill reflex. In addition to fish, their diet includes invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, other birds, and small mammals. They feed in a variety of wetlands, including marshes, swamps, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, tide flats, canals, and flooded fields.