Great Egret

Overview
Great Egret: Large, white heron with yellow eyes. Bill is yellow, may appear orange when breeding. Black legs and feet. Long feather plumes extend from the back to beyond the tail during breeding season. Feeds on fish, frogs, insects, snakes and crayfish. Bouyant direct flight on steady wing beats.

Range and Habitat
Great Egret: Breeds from Oregon to western Mexico and from Minnesota to the Mississippi Valley and southeast U.S.; also occurs along the Atlantic coast north to southern New England. Winters in Oregon south through the southwest, Texas, and Gulf coast states to Mexico, and on the Atlantic coast north to New Jersey. Prefers fresh and salt marshes, marshy ponds, and tidal flats.

The Great Egret is located in mostly tropical and warmer climates in the world, including southern Europe and Asia. It may also be called the Great White Egret or Common Egret, and was formerly known as the Great White Heron. This species feeds on fish, frogs and insects in shallow water and dry habitats. During the colder winter months, northern populations of the Great Egret fly south to warmer climates. Numbers in the United States have decreased due to habitat loss, and this species is highly endangered in New Zealand. However, the conservation rating for the Great Egret is Least Concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
A group of egrets has many collective nouns, including a "congregation", "heronry", "RSVP", "skewer", and "wedge" of egrets.