Great egret, Casmerodius albus. Chordata, Aves, Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae, , Ardea alba.
Cattle Egret much smaller with a shorter, stubbier bill and pale legs. Snowy Egret is smaller and has black bill and yellow feet. Immature Little blue Heron is smaller and has a pale bill with a black tip, and green legs. Reddish Egrets (white morph) have pale bills with black tips and blue-gray legs. The “Great White” Heron of southern Florida has yellow legs.
Sexes similar. Large long-legged long-necked wading bird. Usually holds neck in an “S” curve in flight. Long, thick yellow bill. Black legs and feet. Entirely white plumage. Juvenile similar to basic-plumaged adult.
The elegant Great Egret is a dazzling sight in many a North American wetland. Slightly smaller and more svelte than a Great Blue Heron, these are still large birds with impressive wingspans. They hunt in classic heron fashion, standing immobile or wading through wetlands to capture fish with a deadly jab of their yellow bill. Great Egrets were hunted nearly to extinction for their plumes in the late nineteenth century, sparking conservation movements and some of the first laws to protect birds.
3840×2160 4K Resolution with professional camera.