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Great egret Facts

Great egret Facts
Great egret is a wading bird that belongs to the heron family. There are 4 subspecies of great egrets that can be found in temperate and tropical areas around the world. Great egret inhabits swamps, lakes, ponds, areas near the rivers, streams and islands. White feathers of great egrets were used for decoration of ladies' hats in the past. Increased popularity of these hats led to drastic decline in the number of great egrets in the wild. Luckily, this practice was banned at the end of the 19th century. Population of great egrets is large and stable today.
Interesting Great egret Facts:
Great egret can reach 31 to 41 inches in length, 3.3 feet in height and 1.5 to 3.3 pounds of weight.
Great egret is covered with white plumage. It has long, yellow bill with black tip and long, black legs and feet.
Great egret has wingspan of 55 inches. It produces 2 wing beats per second and flies at the speed of 25 miles per hour. Neck is S-shaped during the flight.
Great egret is mostly active at dusk and dawn (crepuscular bird).
Diet of great egret is based on fish, frogs, snakes, crustaceans and insects that live in or near the water and lizards, small mammals and birds on the solid ground.
Great egret stands motionless in the water and waits for the prey to come close enough. It catches the prey using the long, sharp bill in a fraction of a second.
Great egret occasionally steals food from other birds and uses crocodiles' back as a "floating device"
Great egret hunts solitary or gathered in small flocks.
Great egrets communicate via several calls. High-pitched, squeaky calls can be heard during the breeding season. Threatened birds produce hoarse croaks.
Natural enemies of great egrets are raccoons, owls and hawks. They attack young birds in the nest.
Mating season of great egrets takes place during the spring and summer in temperate regions or throughout the year in tropical areas. Great egrets produce one brood per year.
Great egrets develop long, ornamental plumes on the back during the breeding season and spread them (in a fan-shaped manner) like peacocks during the courtship.
Great egrets nest alone or in colonies of up to 1.000 pairs of birds. Male starts to build nests using the long sticks and twigs, and female completes it. Nest is usually located in the trees or bushes near the water.
Female lays 4 to 6 eggs that hatch after 23 to 27 days. Stronger chicks often kill the weakest birds in the nest to ensure enough food for themselves. Young great egrets are ready to leave the nest at the age of 21 to 25 days.
Great egret can survive 15 years in the wild and 22 years in the captivity.


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