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Great Egret

Ardea alba

Least Concern (IUCN Red List)Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
Great Egret, photographed by sscheema

Photo: sscheema · Pixabay · Pixabay Content License (licence)

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Call and song

About the Great Egret

Large, lanky, long-necked white heron. Size and black legs help separate from other egrets. Widespread and fairly common across the globe. Bill color varies across range: always yellow in the Americas, black in breeding season elsewhere. Occurs in any shallow wetland, including ponds, marshes, and tidal mudflats. Slowly stalks prey in shallow water. Often seen singly, but sometimes gathers in large numbers where food is plentiful. Breeds in colonies, frequently mixed with other egrets and herons.

Species account: eBird.org, fetched 2025-12-26 · How these pages are made

Where it has been recorded

Recorded in 223 of the 253 countries we have eBird lists for. Each opens that country's checklist.

More herons, egrets, and bitterns