Herons (Ardeidae)
Great White Egret (Egretta alba) - HBW 1, p. 409
French: Grande Aigrette
German: Silberreiher
Spanish: Garceta Grande
Other common names: Great/Large Egret, Great American Egret, Great White Heron(!)
Taxonomy: Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758, Europe.
Frequently placed in genus Casmerodius, less often in Ardea; work on DNA indicates closer genetic link with Ardea than with Egretta. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- alba (Linnaeus, 1758) - C Europe to C Asia, S to Iran; winters N & C Africa and Persian Gulf to S China and S Korea.
- modesta (J. E. Gray, 1831) - India, SE Asia, Japan and Korea S through Indonesia to Australia and New Zealand.
- melanorhynchos (Wagler, 1827) - Africa S of Sahara, Madagascar.
- egretta (Gmelin, 1789) - N, C & S America, from N USA to C Argentina.
- Least Concern
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An adult in breeding plumage feeding the chicks on the nest. Pine Island, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, USA (ssp egretta)
Bill Wayman 1 May 2005 1 year ago 32 sec 4.7 -
An adult in breeding plumage preening. Pine Island, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, USA (ssp egretta)
Bill Wayman 1 May 2005 1 year ago 1 min 4 sec 4.5 -
A bird perched and preening, Also a close~up of its toes. Girardot, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia
Pere Sugranyes 9 July 2010 3 weeks ago ADDED LAST MONTH 41 sec 4.3 -
A bird preening on a wood pole Pousada Aguapé, Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (ssp egretta)
Josep del Hoyo 9 January 2005 2 years ago 37 sec 4.3 -
A bird with prey wriggling in its beak, then swallowing prey. Banora Green, Banora Point, Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia (ssp modesta)
Nick Talbot 17 August 2009 1 year ago 13 sec 4.3 -
A pair courting. Pine Island, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, USA (ssp egretta)
Bill Wayman 1 May 2005 1 year ago 43 sec 4.3
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Bird landing in river, displaying its "angelic" wings Nam Sang Wai, Yuen Long, Hong Kong
Bob Thompson 6 November 2009 23 weeks ago 4.6 -
A bird landing on the water. Xindian, Taipei County, Taiwan
alder 13 December 2008 1 year ago 4.6 -
An adult bird taking off over the river. Paraguay River, Brazil (ssp egretta)
Alex García 14 April 2007 1 year ago 4.4 -
Landing in the river with early morning sunshine striking it Nam Sang Wai, Yuen Long, Hong Kong
Bob Thompson 6 November 2009 26 weeks ago 4.4 -
Juvenile on the nest Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Chris and Megan Pe... 11 March 2009 1 year ago 4.3 -
Just caught a fish Nam Sang Wai, Yuen Long, Hong Kong
Bob Thompson 7 February 2009 1 year ago 4.3
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Calls of a group fishing and chasing each other.
Pantanos del Usumacincta, Tabasco State, Mexico (Southern)
(ssp egretta)
Josep del Hoyo 14 April 2009 36 weeks ago 4.5 -
Adult in flight Estancia El Bagual, Formosa Province, Argentina
Nacho Areta 1 December 2006 38 weeks ago 4.5 -
A bird callin during breeding period Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India
(ssp modesta)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 August 2003 33 weeks ago 4 -
A bird calling.
Pantanos del Usumacincta, Chiapas State, Mexico (Southern)
(ssp egretta)
Josep del Hoyo 13 April 2009 37 weeks ago 2.5
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