Great Egret Photo Gallery
Adult
Long-legged wading bird with a long, S-curved neck and a daggerlike bill.
© Alex Lamoreaux | Macaulay LibraryPennsylvania, August 17, 2016Breeding adult (American)
During the breeding season, long feathery plumes grow from its back, called aigrettes which they hold up during courtship displays.
© Darren Clark | Macaulay LibraryTexas, April 12, 2016Adult
Slowly walks through freshwater or estuarine habitats hunting foraging with stand-and-wait techniques.
© Eric Liner | Macaulay LibraryFlorida, January 18, 2009Not all videos have soundAdult
Great Egrets are opportunistic foragers. They primarily consume fish, but also eat crustaceans, amphibians, and small mammals.
© Hannah Walker | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 14, 2009Not all videos have soundAdult
Flies with its long neck tucked in and its long legs trailing behind.
© Henry Gorski | Macaulay LibraryMissouri, August 27, 2020Breeding adult with Roseate Spoonbills
Males perform elegant courtship displays by raising long plumes on their backs. Displays also include head bowing or neck stretching.
© Larry Arbanas | Macaulay LibraryTexas, April 26, 2007Not all videos have soundBreeding adult (American)
Wades through water slowly stalking fish, amphibians, and other aquatic invertebrates.
© Evan Lipton | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, April 18, 2015Adult (with Snowy Egret)
Larger than a Snowy Egret with a yellow bill and entirely black legs and feet.
© Chris McCreedy - no playbacks | Macaulay LibraryArizona, November 17, 2016Great Egrets while solitary foragers, roost and nest in mixed-species colonies in trees and shrubs.
© Larry Arbanas | Macaulay LibraryTexasNot all videos have soundHabitat
Found in both freshwater and saltwater wetlands.
© Jonathan Eckerson | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, December 21, 2016Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns(Order: Pelecaniformes, Family: Ardeidae)
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