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Great [White] EgretAlternate name(s): "Egret*", "Common Egret", "Large Egret", "White Egret", "White Crane*", "Great White Heron*" ![]() Size: 0.85-1.05 m; wing span 1.45-1.70 m Weight: 0.7-1.5 kg (1.0 kg average) |
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Similar |
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See Great
Egret at Wikipedia |
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Photos |
Race "alba"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
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BREEDING |
Lateral view of three Great [White] Egrets, one of which in
breeding plumage,
with a dark bill, while the others are in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Jelonki, Masovia, Poland, July 2016]
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NON-BREEDING |
Frontal view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage;
note the yellow-orange bill
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2021]
Lateral view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
looking towards the observer
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2019]
Close-up lateral view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, February 2021]
Lateral view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, January 2018]
Lateral view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]
Lateral view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2023]
Near-dorsal view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Jelonki, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, October 2021]
Dorsal view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2023]
Great [White] Egrets in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, October 2013]
Lateral view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, January 2018]
Lateral view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]
Lateral/ventral view of a Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]
Near-lateral view of Great [White] Egrets in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, November 2014]
Lateral view of Great [White] Egrets in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, November 2014]
Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
in comparison with a
Squacco Heron
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, February 2018]
Great [White] Egret in non-breeding
plumage
in comparison with
Great Cormorants
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, November 2018]
Hard times for fish trapped in a stagnant pool of water:
Great [White] Egrets,
Little Egrets
and Grey Herons
gathered for an easy meal
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2015]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of an immature Great [White] Egret
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, July 2019]
Great [White] Egrets, either in non-breeding
plumage
or (given the season) immature birds, in comparison with
Little Egrets
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, August 2015]
Race "modesta"
Photos of race "modesta" were obtained in Australia.
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Food, Diet |
All egrets and herons prey on aquatic creatures in fresh water or estuaries (fish, frogs, snakes or crustaceans). Great [White] Egrets will take any of those.
Reportedly, the last words of this Great [White] Egret's victim
were "Oh, rats!"...
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, January 2018]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
We will try to replace these recordings with better ones as soon as possible.
gregret_20220509.m4a | (NW NSW) | Suspicious/foraging at break of dawn | © MD | |
gregret_20190722.m4a | (NW NSW) | Alarm call (human) | © MD | |
gregret_20170626.m4a | (NW NSW) | ? (arrival) | © MD | |
gregret_20210302.m4a | (NW NSW) | ? (in breeding colony) | © MD | |
gregret_20230222.mp3 | (NW NSW) | ? (in-flight; + Little Corella) | © MD |
More Great (White) Egret sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.