Pl. CVI
The Birds · Plate CVI
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Ardeidae · Taxon 144455
| Length | 94–104 cm |
| Wingspan | 131–145 cm |
| Weight | 0.91–1.14 kg |
Field marks
- Entirely white plumage; breeding adults develop long, wispy back plumes
- Tall, slender proportions with a very long, S-curved neck
- Long, straight, daggerlike bill, usually yellow to orange
- Pale yellow eye with yellow-green bare facial skin
- Very long, usually dark legs and feet
- Broad, rounded white wings and a short tail; legs extend well past the tail in flight
HabitatFreshwater and saltwater wetlands, including marshes, ponds, lake and river margins, estuaries, lagoons, mudflats, wooded swamps, and other shallow-water shorelines; nesting sites are typically trees or shrubs near water.
BehaviorA patient, diurnal hunter that stands still or walks slowly through shallow water, then strikes fish and other small prey with a rapid thrust of the neck and bill. Flies with the neck retracted and legs trailing. Usually nests colonially in trees or shrubs near water.
Palette
whiteyellow-orangeblackpale yellow-green