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The Great Egret is a large, white egret that stands as tall as the Great Blue Heron and ranges across the United States and beyond America. It can be confused with the Great White Heron, which is the white morph of the Great Blue Heron, but can be distinguished by its black legs and location. The Great White Heron’s range is also limited to Florida and the Caribbean.

Its snowy white plumage made it a target for plume hunters in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Their population in the United States was decreased by more than 95% during this time. It wasn’t until they were protected by law that their populations recovered. Interestingly the Great Egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society which was founded to save birds from being killed for their feathers.

Great Egrets can be found foraging for food in a variety of wetlands including marshes, swamps, streams, rivers, ponds and flooded fields. It feeds on invertebrates, fish, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds.

A Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret fish in Mississippi River flood waters.

Great Egrets will lay an average of 3 pale bluish-green eggs in a nest built of sticks and covered with green material. They will nest in colonies with other birds in trees over water and on islands. Not all of the fuzzy hatchlings will make it to adulthood as many time the larger chicks kill the smaller ones.