Great Egret Portrait

Ocracoke Island, NC, USA is an amazing place for wildlife photography. The wildlife is always so very close.

If I had to pick one day or moment of our vacation to Ocracoke that was the most memorable, most special, most magical, it is the thirty minutes I spent on day three connecting with and photographing this Great Egret on the pier of the Ocracoke Seafood Company. His body language let me know the boundary he was comfortable with and I respected it. He seemed content enough to pose and eagerly ate up any scraps that came his way. He and and several other shore birds had dropped in for afternoon lunch. The staff told me that this bird is a regular visitor and has been known to steal a fish or two when a back is turned, or dip his beak into the fish scraps basket for an easy meal. Like humans, animals like a free lunch too.


Great Egret / Ardea alba
Order CICONIIFORMES - Family ARDEIDAE

A large white heron, the Great Egret is found across much of the world, from southern Canada southward to Argentina, and in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It's the largest egret in the Old World, and thus has garnered the name Great White Egret. But in the Americas, the white form of the Great Blue Heron is larger and warrants that name. In the United States, the Great Egret used to be called the American Egret but that was hardly appropriate, since the species range extends beyond America and indeed farther than other herons.
Description
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* Large, all white heron.
* Long, black legs and feet.
* Yellow bill is long, stout, and straight.
* Flies with neck pulled back in S-curve.

* Size: 94-104 cm (37-41 in)
* Wingspan: 131-145 cm (52-57 in)
* Weight: 1000 g (35.3 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes appear alike.
Sound

A deep croak when disturbed. Other low calls around nest.

Cool Facts

* The Great Egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society, one of the oldest environmental organizations in North America. Audubon was founded to protect birds from being killed for their feathers.

* Not all young that hatch survive the nestling period. Aggression among nestlings is common and large chicks frequently kill their smaller siblings.

* The longevity record for a wild Great Egret is nearly 23 years.