Great Egret

Welcome to this week’s Wildlife of the Week!

Our species this week is the Great Egret!

Ardea alba

This week’s Wildlife of the Week is the Great Egret! This is a tall, long-legged bird, standing between 37 to 41 inches on average and a wingspan up to 67 inches. They have all-white plumage with yellowish-orange bills and black legs. During breeding season, a patch of skin on their face turns neon green, and long elegant plumes grow from their back. In flight their neck is kept tucked in and their legs extend out from the body. Males and females are identical in appearance. Normally a quiet bird that silently stalks its prey, it gives a low, hoarse croak when disturbed, and a loud croaking cuk cuk cuk and higher-pitched squawks.

Preferred habitats include marshes, wetlands, and flooded farm fields. Small fish make up the main portion of their diet, but they will also catch amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and invertebrates. They typically stand still in shallow water and watch for unsuspecting prey to pass by. Then, with startling speed, the egret strikes with a jab of its long neck and bill.

Great Egrets form monogamous pairs each breeding season, but the pairs are typically different from year to year. In the nest, the larger, more dominant chicks will sometimes stab their weaker siblings to death. This is called siblicide and is not uncommon among larger birds, such as hawks, owls, and herons.

The egrets in the photos were observed in Kimbrough Slough and the Tennessee River. (Photos by Tom Ress)