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Great Egret

Ardea alba

Photo by annorion
Published on Project Noah
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29.908, -91.9087

Field Notes

Description:

Solid white with all white feathers. When breeding they get pretty fluffy feathers on their backs. They are about the same size as a Great Blue Heron and are in the same family Ardea.

The original owner of Avery Island built what is called “Bird City” in an attempt to help these great birds rebound from over hunting. Sadly they were hunted for their fluffy looking feathers that developed during the breeding season hence impacting the population more severely. He was very successful in his conservation effort. So successfully that they have to bring in extra nesting materials yearly for the birds.

Absolute beautiful and touching sight to see these large birds tending to their young.

Habitat:

Wetlands.

Reference Links:

Great Egret

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (5)
annorion
Your correct Claudia. It's called "Bird City" and is located in a pond in Avery Island, LA were Tabasco sauce is made.The structures were placed there just for the birds to nest. Here is a link to the Tabasco website that gives a few more details about the history. http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco_history/avery_island.cfm
Claudia Nix
Love the shot of the Egret carrying the stick!
Claudia Nix
@alicelongmartin: Looks like it's at a rookery and people placed those structures there to simulate where they like to nest. There is a huge Heron/Egret/Cormorant Rookery near my home where hundreds of telephone poles (not real ones :) have been placed out in the water and the Cormorants gather there by the hundreds.
alicelongmartin
Can you explain where they are nesting. It looks like they have made old piers into nesting grounds?!
Photographed
PublishedJuly 18, 2011

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