The Great Egret is a symbol of resilience, strength, and prosperity. The Audubon Society uses this bird’s imagery to represent the benefits of successful bird conservation efforts.
Let’s learn more about this magnificent bird and its return from near extinction.
What is the Audubon Society?
The National Audubon Society is an advocacy group focused on birds and wildlife conservation. Their goal is to preserve the habitats of birds and to make the planet a better place for birds and humans alike.
They’re the oldest bird conservation group, currently operating in 11 countries across the world with 55 centers and sanctuaries. They’ve helped advocate for laws such as the Audubon Plumage Law and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, both of which helped to protect birds from human hunters. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is still in effect today.
The Great Egret
Symbolism and History
The Great Egret is the symbol of the Audubon Society due to successful conservation efforts for the bird in the 1800s. They were hunted to near extinction for their beautiful aigrettes, long feathers that they grow during their mating season. The feathers were used to adorn hats.
Hunters had to time their kills right to obtain the feathers, which meant killing egrets during their nesting season. Many of those killed left behind broods of baby birds that couldn’t survive without their parents to keep them safe and fed.
Luckily, conservationists stepped in to save the species, and they’re now once again a common sight for those who live near wetlands. In the United States, they’re typically seen in the South.
Appearance
Great Egrets are a type of heron. They’re large birds, standing over four feet tall with a 50+ inch wingspan. Males are slightly larger than females, and both sexes have long legs and necks.
Their feathers are pure white, and their legs and feet are black. They have yellow bills. During the breeding season, their beaks may darken to an orange shade, and both sexes grow long plumes (aigrettes) on their backs and tails, which they use to attract a mate.
While flying, they hold their necks in an ‘S’ shape, which can be used to tell them apart from other types of heron.
Diet and Habitat
Great Egrets live on every continent except Antarctica. They populate wetlands and typically nest in plants near the shore.
As you may expect, these herons primarily eat fish, and living near water gives them great access. They tend to hunt by standing in shallow water and waiting for creatures to come to them before snatching them up with their long beaks.
Great Egrets may also hunt amphibians, such as frogs or salamanders, snakes, crustaceans, and insects on the water. Birds who live in wide open spaces, which they tend to prefer, may opt to eat land-dwelling animals such as rodents or smaller birds.
Like most birds, Great Egrets feed their young by regurgitating food into their mouths.
Mating, Nesting, and Raising Offspring
Great Egrets nest and lay their eggs in the spring. These egrets typically nest around other wading birds, preferring safety in numbers–though sometimes a couple will nest further from the flock. If there are other bird species nesting nearby, they tend to build their nests in elevated areas such as in trees, rather than in low foliage nearer to the water.
Males choose a nesting spot and defend it from others, attracting females with their aforementioned aigrettes – the long, gorgeous feathers that almost led to their extinction. Once they’ve found a mate, the two will build their nest together.
Great Egrets lay between one and six eggs, with broods of three to four being the most common. The parent birds work together to incubate the eggs and protect the nest for the 23-26 days the chicks take to hatch. They then continue to co-parent the offspring, with both parents providing food and protection.
The baby birds leave the nest for the first time when they’re about three weeks old, and can fly on their own by the age of seven weeks.
Conservation
Although no longer as endangered as they were in the 1800s, the Great Egret still faces threats as a species. One of their major hurdles is global warming, which seems to be driving the species further north, their numbers dwindling in the south. Habitat loss is the main threat to Great Egrets today.
However, hunting is no longer as large a problem for these birds. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) now prohibits people from keeping the feathers of North American birds without a permit, and feathered hats have gone out of style. Egrets are also considered a protected species, meaning they can no longer be legally hunted in the United States.
In other good news, fully grown egrets have few predators–especially with humans out of the way. However, many animals will forage for their eggs and even hunt young egrets. These include larger birds as well as raccoons.
How to Help Local Birds
Has learning about the Great Egret inspired you to lend a hand to threatened wildlife in your area? There are several ways to help both your local birds and those around the world. They include:
- Advocating for laws that protect the planet: Group efforts go a long way, especially since most environmental harm is done by large corporations that face few penalties for their negligence.
- Avoiding chemicals in your yard and garden: Doing away with pesticides allows pollinators and other insects to thrive, which in turn helps the birds that eat them.
- Tending to native plants: When looking for something new to plant in your garden, look for plants native to your area. This helps the ecosystem in your own backyard.
- Avoiding invasive plants and removing them when necessary: Many invasive plant species were introduced purposefully by humans who enjoyed their looks, and were perhaps unaware of the impact these plants would have on native plants and animals. If you want to include invasive plants in your garden, consider using plant pots or raised garden beds to contain them–or choosing a native plant that’s similar in appearance!
