Egrets are members of a large family of wading birds that includes 65 species of egrets, night-herons, typical herons, tiger-herons, and bitterns. Their long necks, longer than their bodies, are retracted during flight, which is how watchers can tell them from storks and cranes.
These great hunters feed on fish, frogs, crayfish and snakes. Some stir up the mud with their feet to attract prey. When feeding in flocks, it is common to see egrets leap-frog over each other, or plunge into the water.
The biggest threat to egrets in the past was the demand for their decorative feathers. Although most species are recovering, the destruction of wetlands has added a modern threat.
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- Great Egret From eNature, learn about all of the names this bird has had, how tall it is, what it sounds like, and why it's still endangered.
- Great Egret Read about the largest of the Australian egrets. Includes description, food and feeding, distribution and habitat, and breeding facts.
- Snowy Egret Includes description, habitat, breeding range, how and where they nest, why they are threatened, and interesting facts.