The Great Egret like other egrets, have white (‘alba’) feathers. The wingspan of this bird can reach up to 145 cm, and the body length ranges from 94 cm to 104 cm.
Great egrets are mobile, generalist wetland predators found in temperate and tropical latitudes throughout the world. In North America it is more widely spread, especially across the Sun Belt of the United States and in the rainforests of South America.
Great Egrets are opportunistic carnivorous birds and will eat just about anything they can swallow. They consume primarily small fish but will also eat amphibians, crayfish, reptiles, birds, small mammals, bugs, prawns, shrimp, and worms.
Great egrets forage at varying distances from the nest depending on food availability, but typically within 10 kilometers. In dry years, birds may travel up to 40 kilometers to feed.
They employ a range of foraging behaviors, most commonly slow-walking or sit-and-wait, and foraging behavior may be related to habitat type. Formal energetic investigation has revealed that walking and striking at prey is inexpensive for great egrets relative to the energy gained from prey.
Their hunting style shows eminent patience as they slowly hunt or stand still waiting for prey to approach them. Great egrets typically nest near to rivers, seas, mangroves and other sources of water. This provides them with easy access to food sources. The diet of the great egret typically consists of insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish and small mammals.
Great Egret
