Great White Egret Couple
by Jennie Breeze
Title
Great White Egret Couple
Artist
Jennie Breeze
Medium
Photograph - Original Img_0180
Description
The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron. It is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World Little Egret. Adults are typically 24 in long and weigh 0.83 lb. The area of the upper bill, in front of the eyes, is yellow but turns red during the breeding season, when the adults also gain recurved plumes on the back, making for a "shaggy" effect. The juvenile looks similar to the adult, but the base of the bill is paler, and a green or yellow line runs down the back of the legs. Their breeding habitat is large inland and coastal wetlands from the lower Great Lakes and southwestern United States to South America. They nest in colonies, often with other waders, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. Their flat, shallow nests are made of sticks and lined with fine twigs and rushes. Three to four greenish-blue, oval eggs are incubated by both adults. The young leave the nest in 20 to 25 days and hop about on branches near the nest before finally departing. Some Snowy Egret are permanent residents. The birds eat fish, crustaceans, insects and small reptiles. They stalk prey in shallow water, often running or shuffling their feet, flushing prey into view, as well "dip-fishing" by flying with their feet just over the water. Snowy Egrets may also stand still and wait to ambush prey, or hunt for insects stirred up by domestic animals in open fields.
Uploaded
May 16th, 2013
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Viewed 807 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/21/2024 at 4:42 AM
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Comments (9)
Andrea Kollo
Beautiful ... v/f
Jennie Breeze replied:
Thanks to NATURE & LANDSCAPE, VISUAL VOICE and COMFORTABLE ART for featuring my photograph in their group homepages.
Jennie Breeze
Thanks, Mary, for featuring my photograph in your 'Capturing the Great Heron' group homepage.
Jennie Breeze
Thanks, Mary, for taking the time to make such a nice comment and for the compliments. Greatly appreciated!
Mary McAvoy
Love this photo, Jennie - the blue of the sky, the wispy white of the feathers, the interplay of the beaks, the sweep of the branch aligning with a leg, all on a bed of greenery perfectly placed in the image! A stunning shot. v/f