photographs by Douglas Herr

Ardea alba

order Pelecaniformes family Ardeidae

Great Egret #24, Yolo County California 23 April 2024

Great Egret #23, Yolo County California 23 April 2024

Great Egret #22, Yolo County California 23 April 2024

Great Egret #21, Sacramento County California 13 December 2023

Great Egret #20, Sacramento County California 13 December 2023

Great Egret #19, Sacramento County California 13 December 2023

Great Egret #18, Sacramento County California 05 March 2023

Great Egret #17, Sacramento County California 05 March 2023

Great Egret #16, Sacramento County California 05 March 2023

Great Egret #15, Yolo County California 25 January 2022

Great Egret #14, Sacramento County California 23 October 2021

Great Egret #13, Sacramento County California 11 August 2021

Great Egret #12, Sacramento County California 24 February 2021

Great Egret #10, Yolo County California 21 June 2019

Great Egret #08, Yolo County California 19 June 2019

Great Egret #05, Sacramento County California 05 December 2016

Great Egret #03, Sacramento County California 31 December 2007

Field identification tips: A large heron, nearly the same size as the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). The all-white plumage of the Great Egret (Ardea alba) by itself is not a distinguishing feature because several other members of the heron family share this trait. A. alba's distinguishing features are black legs and feet, a yellow bill and in breeding season, green lores. Bear in mind that mud may obscure the true color of the bird's feet.

Typical range: A. alba is nearly cirumpolar in temperate and tropical regions. This species can be found on every continent except Antarctica. In North America A. alba breeds as far north as southern Canada. Northern populations migrate southward for the cooler months while along the gulf coast and in mild climates of western states, as well as the Caribbean Islands, Central and South America, the bird is a year-round resident.

Habitat: A. alba is typically associated with lakes, ponds, marshes, and estuaries where the bird hunts for fish and crustaceans. Other foods include pretty much anything it can swallow including reptiles, small mammals and small birds. It can also be found hunting in fields and along highways. Nests are in trees in large rookeries near water.

last updated 11 September 2025