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Great White Egret

Ardea alba

Not yet photographed by the community

Heron-sized white egret; long yellow bill; increasingly common.

Species Profile

Amber List (recovery phase); formerly rare, now increasing in UK; protected under Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Lifespan: 15–20 years in the wild; longest recorded UK individual was over 25 years old
Size & Weight: 85–104 cm tall, wingspan 130–170 cm; 700–1,500 g
Habitat: Shallow freshwater wetlands, reed beds, lakes, river valleys, and coastal marshes with standing water and tall vegetation for nesting.
UK Distribution: Rare breeder in southern England, primarily East Anglia and the south coast; increasingly seen on passage and as an over-wintering visitor since the 1990s, with small breeding populations now established.
Diet: Primarily fish, including pike, carp, and roach; also frogs, newts, small water voles, and occasionally crustaceans.
Prey: Fish (pike, carp, roach, perch), amphibians, small mammals, crustaceans
Predators: Fox, mink, and occasional predation of eggs and young by corvids; chicks vulnerable to disturbance and flooding.
Mating Season: March to June
Breeding: Clutch of 3–5 eggs; incubation period 24–26 days; single brood per year; nests in reed beds or trees in loose colonies.
Behaviour: Solitary or in small groups when feeding; highly vocal at breeding colonies with various croaks and bill-clattering displays. Hunts by slow, methodical stalking in shallow water with rapid strikes of its spear-like bill. Males perform elaborate displays including neck stretching and plume ruffling during courtship.

Did You Know?

•The Great White Egret has expanded its range northward across Europe in recent decades, likely driven by climate change and habitat creation.
•Its breeding plumage features spectacular long, wispy back plumes called 'aigrettes' that were historically hunted for the hat-making industry.
•Great White Egrets can stand motionless for extended periods while hunting, conserving energy while waiting for prey to approach.
•The species was virtually absent from the UK in the mid-20th century but has recolonised from continental European populations, with the first confirmed UK breeding in 1989.
•They build large stick nests high in reed beds or trees, sometimes creating impressive platforms over a metre wide that are reused and added to year after year.

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