Herons, Bitterns
Great Egret
Ardea alba
The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret, with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world. It builds tree nests in colonies close to water.
- Family
- Herons, Bitterns
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Weight
- 871 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Vertebrates, fish and carrion
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Countries recorded
- 174
Recorded in United States, Netherlands, Australia, France, Taiwan, India, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Costa Rica, United Kingdom, Argentina, Italy, Chile, Japan, South Africa, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Belize, Thailand, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Poland, China, Portugal, Venezuela, Honduras, Czechia, Israel, Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Hong Kong, Austria, Cuba, Russia, Estonia, Malaysia, Kenya, Uruguay, Greece, Nicaragua, Ukraine, Hungary, Switzerland, Bulgaria, United Arab Emirates, Bahamas, Paraguay, Philippines, Dominican Rep., Botswana, Bolivia, Norway, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, AW, Gambia, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Jamaica, Indonesia, New Zealand, BM, Madagascar, Guyana, Slovakia, Zambia, Cambodia, KY, Singapore, Slovenia, Uganda, Finland, Senegal, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Iran, Namibia, VI, Lithuania, Bangladesh, Nepal, GP, Belarus, Vietnam, Oman, Curaçao, Georgia, Antigua and Barb., MF, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Barbados, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Mozambique, BQ, Moldova, Latvia, Kuwait, GF, Ghana, Azerbaijan, SX, Rwanda, Myanmar, Mongolia, Egypt, Cyprus, TC, Malawi, Pakistan, Haiti, Morocco, Nigeria, Suriname, Albania, MO, AI, Grenada, VG, Kyrgyzstan, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, KN, Montenegro, MS, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan, Guinea-Bissau, Laos, Ireland, eSwatini, Jordan, XK, Angola, Tunisia, Benin, Gabon, Qatar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Cameroon, North Macedonia, Armenia, MQ, Brunei, Algeria, Bosnia and Herz., St. Vin. and Gren., MP, Côte d'Ivoire, Cabo Verde, Palau, Lebanon, Sudan, Republic of the Congo, Bahrain, Iraq, Chad, CX, Mauritania, Guinea, NF, Comoros.
Where to see it: Great Salt Pond · South East (Sint Maarten (Dutch part)); Etang Chevrise (Saint Martin (French part)); Josiah's Bay (British Virgin Islands); Étang de l'Aéroport (Saint Martin (French part)); Emilio Wilson Park (Sint Maarten (Dutch part)).
Photo: Channel City Camera Club from Santa Barbara, US, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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