- Ardea alba
also known as the Great White Egret, White Heron, or Common Egret
Identification
The Great Egret is a large bird with all white plumage that can reach 101 cm in height and weigh up to 950 g. It is only slightly smaller than the Great Blue Heron or Grey Heron. Apart from size, the Great Egret can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet. It also has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks.
Distribution
A very widespread bird occurring in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia.
In North America breeds in the west in Oregon and California and over much of the east from southern Ontario and Long Island southwards. Breeds throughout Mexico, Central America and the West Indies and troughout South America except the higher mountains and Patagonia. Post-breeding dispersal takes birds far north and south of main breeding range and vagrants recorded in Newfoundland, on Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands.
A local breeder in the Western Palearctic, after declining for many years has now begun to increase and spread. Breeds in Austria and Hungary, at Lake Skadar on the Montenegro-Albania border, the Danube Delta and at scattered sites in the Ukraine and across southern Russia to the Caspian. Breeding has also recently taken place in the Netherlands, Germany and Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, and Latvia. In 1994 the first breeding for France occurred and small numbers now breed in northern Italy. A pair at the Ebro Delta in 1997 was the first breeding record for Spain. In winter occurs on the north and east coasts of the Adriatic Sea, in southern Greece and western Turkey, in Tunisia, the Nile Delta and in southern Iraq. Increasingly recorded in the Camargue where more than 100 now occur in winter. A vagrant to all European countries, north to Britain, (c.200), Ireland and Norway and throughout the Mediterranean and on the Canaries. Vagrancy is increasing in most areas as population and range increases. Recently recorded for the first time in Iceland. Extremely rare on the Azores and presumably these records involve American race egretta which has also been recorded in the British Isles.
More widespread in Asia breeding from the Caspian Sea and Iran east to the Russian Far East, Korea and southern Japan and south to Malaysia, Indonesia and New Guinea. Northern birds vacate breeding areas in winter. Mainly coastal in Australia but can occur throughout the continent and now breeds on South Island, New Zealand.
Occurs almost throughout sub-Saharan Africa but actual breeding range is little-known. Has been recorded breeding in west, east and southern Africa.
Taxonomy
Various authors also identify this species as Egretta alba and Casmerodius albus. However, this species closely resembles the large Ardea herons such as Grey Heron and Great Blue Heron in everything but colour, whereas it shows fewer similarities to the smaller white egrets.
There are four subspecies in various parts of the world, of which the largest is A. a. modesta.
Subspecies
A. a. modesta - Asia and Australasia.
A. a. alba - Europe
A. a. egretta - North America
A. a. melanorhynchos - Africa
Habitat
Lakes and marshes, wet meadows and grassland, breeds in reedbeds or other dense vegetation. On passage and in winter also on mudflats, estuaries and brackish lagoons.
Behaviour
The Great Egret feeds in shallow water or drier habitats, spearing fish, frogs or insects with its long, sharp bill. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim. It is a conspicuous species, usually easily seen.
