Long Legged Waders

Great Egret

Ardea alba
Great Egret thumbnail
Length: 39 in. (99 cm )
Large and obvious, the yellow bill and dark legs of this white water bird make identification easy. The Great Egret occurs around the world in marshy areas, irrigation ditches, ponds and in tidal estuaries where it stalks fish, insects, crustaceans, frogs and small birds. It makes a large nest of twigs and branches and usually nests in colonies with other water birds, such as herons, pelicans and cormorants. Following nesting in late summer, many individuals wander far north before returning to winter in coastal and warmer inland aquatic areas.

The four-digit banding code is GREG.


Marsh / swamp

Mudflat

Open water

Riparian / River forest

Urban city
Bird Sound Type: Rattling
Sex of Bird: Male
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