Its beautiful white plumes (feathers) were used to decorate ladies’ hats. Fun Facts: Plume hunters in the late 1800s and early 1900s reduced North American populations by more than 95 percent. In 1903, Egret plumes were so popular they were worth twice their weight in gold! A tall, stately white wader of quiet waters. An adult Great Egret is more than 3 feet tall. This is known as the egret was banded in Ohio. It mainly feeds on small fish but will take a variety of foods. It has a direct flight on steady wing beats. Snowy egrets (Egretta thula) have specialized feet that may aid them in collecting food.In addition to stirring up the bottom of lakes and ponds, the bright yellow color of the feet may attract small fishes closer to them. Today, the Great Egret is the symbol for the National Audubon Society. It is the second-largest member of the heron family in America (second only to the Great Blue Heron).It lives in mudflats, tidal shallows and marshes.It winters in the south down to Colombia.The Great Egret flies with slow wing beats and has a deep, croaking call. Great Blue Heron: This large heron has a blue-gray back, black sides and a gray-and-white striped belly. Common, especially in the south, it may wander far to the north in late summer. After the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918 populations began to recover. Cattle Egret – Cattle Egrets are small white herons that often live near livestock. The long neck is gray with a black-bordered white throat stripe. Fantastic Facts About the Arrestingly Beautiful Snowy Egret. There are 11 different species of this bird, and each species is different. One of their favorite methods of hunting is by following cows and other large farm animals. The numbers of the Great White Egret have grown considerable since the outlawing of killing these birds for the beautiful feathers and their range is increasing as well. The Great Egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society, one of the oldest environmental organizations in North America. The Snowy Egret is a small and graceful member of the heron family, and is very similar to the Little Egret in appearance. The upper mandible is dark and the lower is yellow. Fun facts: During the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s, the Great Egret was hunted almost to extinction. The great egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society and represents a conservation success story. Fun Facts. Here are some interesting facts about this beautiful white bird. The Great Egret (also known an the Common Egret) is a large wading bird found worldwide.. Learn more about some individual species below. Birdorable's fourteen favorite facts about vultures (9/5) Birdorable Great Egret (9/3) T-Shirt Tuesday: I Love Vultures (9/1) AOU student quiz bowl (8/28) T-Shirt Tuesday: Egyptian Vulture (8/25) T-Shirt Tuesday: Turkey Vulture (8/18) California Condor update from Ventana Wildlife Society (8/15) The diets of egrets vary from species to species, but most prefer fishes, small snakes, amphibians, and invertebrates. The head has a white face, cap and black crest. The oldest known Great Egret lived to be almost 23 years old. Interesting Facts About the Egret. The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret, with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe.Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water. 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