OTHER NAMES: Great Egret, Common Egret, Large Egret
Latin Etymology: Ardea ("Heron") alba ("white")
Top: Adult Great White Egret (subspecies A. a. alba) at Summer Leys Reserve. March 2022
Weight: 700-1500g / Length: 80-104cm / Wingspan: 131-170cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern
Since the time this blog started, the Great White Egret has gone from a rare occassional species to a mainstay of British wetlands being seen regularly at many local sites consistantly throughout the year. Even beyond that, it is a very widely distributed species globally, found on every continent except Antarctica and found in nearly any habitat where there is non-frozen water for it to feed in, and indeed, is with the possible exception of the feral pigeon the species I have seen in most countries.
Related species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Ardea
Subspecies: A. a. alba, A. a. egretta, A. a. melanorhynchos, A. a. modesta
- Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A rare Winter migrant (35 individuals) and regular vagrant.
- A regular at Pitsford Reservoir in Winter, seen in multiple years.
A locally common resident.
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Common at Tarcoles
Locally common resident
- KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: A single bird at Kyoto.
SINGAPORE - An locally common resident.
UNITED STATES
Resident on most of the Coastal areas, winters throughout
- CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley
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Resident on most of the Coastal areas, winters throughout
- CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley
