# Great Egret

Scientific name: Ardea alba

Bird group: [heron](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/heron)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/156/Great-Egret

## Identification

The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret, with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water.


## Distribution and habitat

The Great Egret occurs worldwide including the West 
Indies (Raffaele and others 1998), 
where it is a common resident 
species in Puerto Rico (Oberle 
2018). This species occurs in 
freshwater and saltwater ponds, 
canals, mangroves, lagoons, 
moist grassy fields, and urban 
streams (Oberle 2018). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 465 
records within 253 hexagons 
or 53 percent of the 479 total 
hexagons (see map). Of the 253 
hexagons where this species 
was found, breeding met the 
atlas definition of confirmed in 
3 percent (8) of the hexagons, probable in 2 percent (5), and 
possible in 1 percent (2), while 
the species was observed in 94 
percent (238) of the hexagons 
but without evidence of breeding 
(see map). Great Egret distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

## Breeding

The Great Egret breeds and roosts colonially and builds a 
loose platform of sticks on a tree 
branch or in a shrub, primarily 
from April to June, according 
to previously published reports 
(Raffaele and others 1998). 
Atlas results indicate that most 
breeding activity for this species 
occurs during March, April, and 
May (see chart). Atlas findings       147Great Egret/Garza Realshow that the Great Egret breeds within the subtropical moist 
and subtropical dry forest life 
zones in the lowlands (47 and 
40 percent of the hexagons, 
respectively), and also within the 
subtropical wet forest life zone 
(13 percent of the hexagons) 
in the mountains (see table 
and map).

## Conservation

The overall population trend for the Great Egret is unknown, but since this species has an 
extremely large range, it is listed 
as a species of least concern by 
the IUCN (BirdLife International 
2019). Locally, this species is not 
listed in any of the threatened 
categories of PRDNER and 
USFWS. In Puerto Rico, the Great 
Egret has a protected habitat 
in land of 7 percent or 25 km2 of the total area covered by 
the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (359 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_156_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_156_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.