The words Dog Breed Info with the letter D inside of a black paw print

Egret

Birds in the Wild

Close Up - Egret on Assateague Island

Great Egret spotted on Assateague Island.

Egret in the marshland of Assateague Island

Great Egret spotted on Assateague Island. The wingspan of a Great Egret can be over 50 inches.

Egret on Assateague Island lifting its head up looking for something

Great Egret spotted on Assateague Island.

Egret walking around the marshland of Assateague Island

Great Egret spotted on Assateague Island.Egrets can often be found hanging with herds of animals such as horses and cattle, snatching up insects that are disturbed from the grass as they graze. Sometimes they will even eat the insects right off of the animal.

Egret hanging around two Horses

Notice the egret in front of the horse’s nose in the back. The egret knows there are some tasty flies hanging around the horses—a win-win for both the horses and the bird.

Types of Egret

  • Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
  • Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes)
  • Eastern Reef Egret (Egretta sacra)
  • Great Egret, also called Great White Egret (Ardea alba)
  • Intermediate Egret, Median Egret also called Yellow-billed Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia) (Ardea intermedia) (Egretta intermedia)
  • Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
  • Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens)
  • Slaty Egret (Egretta vinaceigula)
  • Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
  • Western Reef Egret (Egretta gularis)

Birds in the Wild