Great White Egret

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The length of the great white egret is about 95 cm. It is an unmistakable bird, much larger then all other white egrets.

The plumage is white with fine feathers on the back. The bill of adults is yellow becoming temporarily black during the immediate pre-breeding period. Legs and feet are wholly black.

The great white egret roosts in groups, but is otherwise a rather solitary bird except when breeding. It hunts for fish, insects, frogs and small animals, which are taken by standing still and waiting, or by wading in shallow water.

Did you know?
that this species is also sometimes placed either in the genus Egretta or Ardea?

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	CICONIIFORMES
Suborder	ARDEAE
Family	ARDEIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Casmerodius albus
Name (English)	Great White Egret
Name (French)	Grande aigrette
Name (German)	Silberreiher
Name (Spanish)	Garza blanca
CITES Status	Not listed
CMS Status	Appendix II (only Casmerodius albus albus (Western Palearctic populations))

Photo Copyright by
Mike Baird

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Widely distributed throughout the world.
Habitat	Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands, Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) Rocky Shores, Sand, Shingle or Pebble Shores, Intertidal Marshes
Wild population	Not globally threatened. Intense persecution for plume trade in the 19th and the early 20th centuries led to a crash in numbers and a shrinking of the range, but has now almost recovered to former numbers. The destruction of wetlands poses a current threat to these birds.
Zoo population	100 reported to ISIS (2007)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 17 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Mila Zinkova

Why do zoos keep this animal

The great white egret is not a threatened species, and zoos do not maintain coordinated breeding programmes. It is mainly kept for educational purposes and for promoting wetland conservation, ideally in mixed exhibits (walk-thru aviaries).

How this animal should be kept

For keeping a great white egret colony of up to 6 adults, an aviary of no less than 30 m², at least 3 m high is required. Ideally the aviary is at least twice as large and 4 m or more high. The aviary surface must be increased by 3 m² for each additional adult. The aviary must contain a shallow pool, and dead trees for perching and nesting. In temperate climates, grey herons do not need a frost-free wintering quarter, but some shelter should be provided to protect the, from inclement weather.

It is not recommended to keep pinioned great white egrets in open outdoor enclosures.