The Great White
Egret nest site in Somerset,
is being monitored by staff and volunteers from Natural England, the RSPB and
Somerset Ornithological Society. Natural England
hopes to be able confirm that the nest contains chicks and that Britain can
welcome a new species to its list of breeding birds shortly.
The species is
more usually found in mainland Europe but, in recent years, the number of
sightings of these elegant birds in England has increased.
Great White Egret
The Great Egret or Great White Egret
– Egretta alba – is the
largest egret in the Old World. It is the
symbol of the National Audubon Society and represents a conservation success
story. The Great White Egret is a large white heron and is found across much of
the world, from southern Canada
southward to Argentina, and
in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
The species inhabits all kinds of inland and coastal wetlands, river margins,
lake shores, marshes, flood-plains etc.
Description
A large all-white
Egret with large yellow bill, long black legs and feet. In breeding plumage,
delicate ornamental feathers are borne on the back and the bill becomes black.
Males and females are identical.
Call
A deep loud croak
when disturbed and low croaking cuk cuk cuk at the nest.
Food
Feeds mainly on
fish, frogs, mammals, reptiles and insects.
Breeding
Nests in colonies
with other herons. The nest is constructed from sticks and other vegetation. It
is normally positioned over water. The clutch size is between 2 to 4 pale
greenish-blue eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs. The young egrets are
aggressive towards one another in the nest, and the stronger siblings often
kill their weaker kin.
Conservation
Status – Least Concern
Plume hunters in
the late 1800s and early 1900s reduced North American populations by more than
95 percent. The populations recovered after the birds were protected by law. No
population is considered threatened, but the species is threatened by wetland
habitat degradation and loss.
Birdwatching
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