California Wildlife Photgraphy by Janine Warner

Majestic Birds

Great White Egrets

The name egret is used for a number of different types of herons. The big white ones are called great egrets, and they are generally found near water.

Egrets live near bodes of salt water and freshwater, and they can feed in wetlands, streams, ponds, and other areas.

Where egrets nest

EgretMost egrets build their nest in tall trees, near water and gather in groups called colonies, which may include other heron or egret species. They are monogamous, and both parents incubate their three to four eggs. Young egrets are aggressive towards one another in the nest, and stronger siblings often kill their weaker kin so that not all survive to fledge in two to three weeks.

Egrets snare prey by walking slowly or standing still for long periods, waiting for an animal to come within range of their long necks and blade-like bills. The deathblow is delivered with a quick thrust of the sharp bill, and the prey is swallowed whole. Fish are a dietary staple, but great egrets use similar techniques to eat amphibians, reptiles, mice, and other small animals.