Egrets

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Cattle Egret

The three egrets shown above are the most common found in our area, but many times novice birders get mixed up on which is which since they are all have white feathers. The Snowy Egret is the most abundant and the Cattle Egret the least abundant.  The Great Egret and Snowy Egrets habitat is similar – marshes, lakes, ponds and coastal habitats. The Cattle Egret likes also likes wet pastures and plowed fields. All three are colonial especially the snowy and cattle egret. All three are monogamous and all build their nests out of sticks, twigs and reeds. They go to South or Central America for the winter. The Great Egret has 1-6 eggs, Snowy Egret has 3-5 eggs and the Cattle Egret has 3-4 eggs.

Great Egret:  This is the largest of the three getting to about 39” with a wingspan of 51” and they weigh about 1.9 lbs. They are tall, slender with a long neck. They have a long, slightly down curved yellow bill with blackish legs and feet.

Snowy Egret:  This bird gets to 24” with a wingspan of 41” and they weigh about 13 ounces. They are smaller but still slender with a long neck. They have a pointed dark beak with yellow lores. They have dark legs with yellow feet. A juvenile (Jul-Apr) can sometimes deceive you with a pale bill and legs.

Cattle Egret:  This bird is the smallest of the three getting to about 20” with a wingspan of 36” and they weigh about 12 ounces. They have a stocky shorter neck and bill. They have a yellow bill but all black legs and feet. An adult breeding bird can have pale orange patches on it.

There is a fourth Egret that has been seen in Arizona, but it is a rare treat. It is the Reddish Egret that has two different morphs – dark and white. If you saw a white morph, it would be about 30” with a wingspan of 46”. On the adult, the bill would be bicolored, the legs would be dark gray and it could have some stringy shaggy plumes below its long neck.