The Great White Egret

On a recent trip to South Carolina, my husband and I drove down by Pawleys Island. The area is very marshy, and I was in seventh heaven as there were Great White egrets everywhere I looked. I even saw baby egrets with their mothers. The coastal area of South Carolina is beautiful, especially when these birds take to flight. For me, it is very symbolic of freedom; something that I have always taken for granted; something that has become very precious to me in recent times.

There are four races of white egrets around the world, but the Great White egret (Casmerodius albus) is the largest egret in North and Central America. The bird ranges in length from 33-40 inches (89-104 cm), with a wingspan of 4 ½ feet (1.4m). The beautiful plumage is all white. What differentiates the Great White egret from the Great White Heron (a morph of the Great Blue Heron that is all white) is the legs and bill. The Great White egret sports a yellow bill that is tipped in black, with black legs and feet. The Great White heron is almost the opposite, with a solid yellow bill and yellow legs and feet. The Great White heron has white plumage extending from its head down over the back of the neck, while the Great White egret does not. These comparisons are good to remember especially if you are birding in the area of southern Florida, where both heron and egret are found.

During breeding season, the Great White egret flies north. Their breeding range includes an area that extends from the Southeastern United States to the Great Lakes. I have seen them in Ohio and Michigan. They have also been spotted in Montana. When a prospective mate is found, there begins a courtship ritual that is complex and beautiful. There is a display of plumage as the egret assumes different poses to show off his white feathers. This becomes almost dance-like. In my mind, I almost liken this to a competition of bodybuilders. They assume poses to show off their body lines and to flex their muscles. So also, the egret struts his "stuff"!

Nests are usually built of sticks in trees or bushes, or hidden within the reeds and lined with grass. These birds nest in colonies with both their own species and other types of waterfowl. The female egret lays two to five eggs that are a pale blue-green in color. The eggs are turned every 1-2 hours by either of the parent birds. In about 24-29 days, the eggs hatch. New chicks are covered with white down and have yellow bills. The young hatchlings are tended by both parent birds. The mortality rate for hatchlings is high. In a nest of five chicks, only one usually survives. Weather conditions and the availability of food play a major part in their survival. For the first few weeks, the parent birds regurgitate partially digested food into the nest for the young chicks to eat. At about eight weeks, the young egrets are able to sustain flight. By the time summer is over, they are ready to migrate south where they can become part of a new colony.

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