Great Egret
|
Common name: Great Egret
Class: Aves
Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Ardea
Species: Ardea alba |
photo Michael Noonan |
Taxonomy/Description
Great Egrets are in the
Ardeidae family and are related to herons. Great Egrets
are less then 1 meter long from bill to tail, 1 meter
tall, have a wingspan of about 1.5 meters, and weigh
about 912 to 1140 grams. On average, males are larger
than females, but they do not differ in color or
markings. Great Egrets are completely white with a long
yellow bill and dark gray legs, which distinguishes them
from Snowy Egrets which have black legs, bill with yellow feet
and also are much smaller. During
flight their neck is usually in an “S” shaped curve.
They are very elegant birds with plumage resembling
lace.
photo Michael Noonan
Habitat/Diet
Great Egrets are found in North America 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. 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.
photos Michael Noonan &
Faith Burns
Great Egrets usually feed on smaller aquatic and
terrestrial insects and vertebrates. Wading slowly
through the water, they are extremely successful at
striking and catching fish or insects. Studies found
that, standing still, Great Egrets were able to
successfully catch
more prey than if they moved
around. This suggests that their goal is not to catch
the largest quantity of food, but to catch high quality
food.
Behavior/Reproduction
Great Egrets are very ground-oriented when it comes to
courtship, nesting and feeding. These birds are also seasonally monogamous animals. Male
egrets are responsible for selecting a territory and
performing a series of rituals in order to attract a
female. Mating occurs within the males’ territory.
Typically, Great Egret nests are built with other heron
nests in a colony in wetlands and wooded swamps. Nests
are a flimsy platform constructed of sticks, twigs, and
stems built as high as possible. Great Egret eggs are a
pale greenish blue, and are incubated by both the male
and female for about 23 to 24 days. The young usually
fledge 2-3 weeks after hatching. Great Egrets are
capable of reproducing after two years and raise one
brood per year with the breeding season beginning in
mid-April. At dusk, Great Egrets gather from surrounding
areas to form communal roosts. Post-breeding dispersal
is very common among Great Egrets. After the young
hatch, they accompany the adults on long journeys.
Where to see them in WNY
Great Egrets are relatively rare birds to
see in Western New York where they are seen in low
numbers in few places. Fortunately these large white
birds are easy to spot and identify so if they are in an
area there may be some individuals that have seen them.
Historically these birds have been seen on the Niagara
River, Tifft Nature Preserve and Iroquois NWR during the
summer. |
