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Great Egret -- Ardea alba -- South Dakota Birds
| Great Egret | Length: 37 - 41 inches | Wingspan: 56 inches | Seasonality: Summer/Migrant |
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Identification Keys: Large size, all white plumage, yellow bill, black legs and feet |
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Great Egrets are the largest of the white egrets found in the state. After playing a key role in it's recovery after nearly being exterminated by 1900, the Audubon Society chose the Great Egret as its symbol. Note the long lacy plumage in the breeding bird on the right, and the green lores of another breeding bird in the photo on the bottom.
Habitat: Sloughs, ponds, marshes, and flooded pastures.
Diet: Mostly fish. Also eats crustaceans, frogs, salamanders, snakes, and aquatic insects. May chase grasshoppers in open fields.
Behavior: Forages by standing still or walking slowly, waiting for prey to approach, and the stabbing it with a quick thrust of the bill. While they primarily feed along wetlands and water features, they will occasionally also feed in open fields and even follow cattle like Cattle Egrets.
Nesting: Mid June to July.
Breeding Map: Breeding bird survey map
Song: Bold throaty croaking or repeated cuk, cuk.
Migrations: Winters in coastal areas and south through Mexico.
Similar Species: Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, and immature Little Blue Heron. See Identification Tips for differentiating between these species.
Status: Was nearly extinct by 1900 due to demand for it's plumes, along with many of the egrets and herons. Thanks to early conservation efforts by groups like the Audubon Society, they (and other egrets) have gradually recovered since.
Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Great Egret
2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - Great Egret"
Photo Information: Top Photo: April 25th, 2004 -- Near Lake Thompson -- Terry Sohl
Bottom Photo: September 14th, 2004 -- Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri -- Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or text links below for additional, higher-resolution Great Egret photos.
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Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl
This page was last edited on 02/03/08
