Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Order: Pelecaniformes | Family: Ardeidae  | IUCN Status: Least Concern

great_egret
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America

great_egret
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America

great_egret
Age: Adult with Cattle Egret| Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America

great_egret
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America


Identification & Behavior: ~49.5 cm (19.4 in). The Great Egret is the largest of the white egrets. It is of white color at all age stages. Adults have a long yellow bill and dark legs. They normally yellow bare skin in the face and loral areas turn green during the breeding season. Its breeding plumage features long plumes in the birds back. It is the most habitat generalist. The Great Egret is distinguished from the similar Cattle Egret by much larger size and a  long and slender bill.

Status: The Great Egret is overall uncommon and widespread in the coastal lowlands and in Amazonia. It is also known to range at elevations over 4000 m in the high Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, Bo, and Ch.

Name in Spanish: Garza Grande.

Sub-species: Great Egret (Ardea alba egretta) Gmelin, JF, 1789.

Meaning of Name: Ardea: L. Heron. alba: L. albus= dull white.

See more of the Family Ardeidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
great egretVoice


References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 01/01/2015.