Great Egret

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Camargue, France • December 2008 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Great Egret
Latin: Ardea alba • Egretta alba • Casmerodius albus
Other: Grande Aigrette (Fr) • Kotuku (NZ) • Great White Egret • Common Egret • Garça-branca-grande (Br)
Family: Ardeidae • Egrets

Subspecies: Ardea alba alba (Europe) (pictured above) • Ardea alba egretta (Americas) • Ardea alba melanorhynchos (Africa) • Ardea alba modesta (Asia & Australasia)

This photo of a Great Egret was my first decent photo of a bird, and a stepping stone into the world of birds. Taken on my first day trip to the Camargue, over the New Year.

The bird was circling with some gulls and Little Egrets on the Etang de Vaccarès. They were attracted by some people by the lake shore, who I think must have been pulling in nets.

Below is a Great Egret from Brazil (Ardea alba egretta) taken in May in Santa Catarina. Seems to be more wiry than the European supspecies and the grey-green lores are more pointed and travel further behind the eye.




The third photo, above, was taken in Ventimiglia, Italy, in December, so is a very similar bird to the top photo.