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Great Egret
Ardea alba
45.0077, -93.1411
Field Notes
Description:
The great egret stands about 3 feet tall, has all white plumage, black legs and yellow bill. In flight, the neck is folded back and the legs trailing.
Habitat:
Usually found near water features, such as wetlands, ponds, and lakes where it feeds on amphibians, fish, and reptiles. It nests in treetop colonies.
Notes:
This is a common summer resident in our area, but are often difficult to approach. I found them to be much more relaxed around people in Florida.
They were once heavily hunted for their breeding plumage for the millinery (hat) trade, their spectacular plumage being a favorite adornment for the elaborate hats worn by women in the US and elsewhere in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The killing of these birds on their nests (the prime time to hunt them) greatly reduced their populations as not only did the adults die, but the eggs and young also perished. For an interesting discussion on this, see: http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Plume_Trade.html
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