Great Egret

Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758

Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns

Great Egret Ardea alba is a heron found across North America, South America, Africa, the Palearctic, the Oriental Region and Australasia. It is a widespread bird of tropical and warmer temperate areas, and it breeds in tree colonies near water, especially by large lakes with reed beds and other broad wetlands. The species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the heron family Ardeidae within the order Pelecaniformes. A key field mark is its yellow bill with black legs and feet, which helps separate it from other white egrets.

Order
Pelecaniformes
Family
Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns
Breeding range
North America, South America, Africa, Palearctic, Oriental Region, Australasia: worldwide
Great Egret
© Paul Danese · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

15 tours in Canada 5, Trinidad and Tobago 4, Mexico 2, South Africa 2, Uganda 1, Hungary 1

Private Veracruz and Southern Mexico Birding with Dr. Rafael Rueda
Private Veracruz and Southern Mexico Birding with Dr. Rafael Rueda
Mexico / Xalapa Private tour

Build a private birding programme around Xalapa, Veracruz or southern Mexico with ornithologist and long-time regional guide Dr. Rafael Rued...

15-Day Uganda Birding Tour 2027
15-Day Uganda Birding Tour 2027
Uganda / Entebbe Group tour 15 days

A 15-day Uganda birding circuit from Entebbe through Mabamba Swamp, Lake Mburo, Mgahinga, Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale and Semliki for Sh...

From USD 4,685
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Hungary / Kecskemet Private tour 8h

Spend a private day across Kiskunsag’s puszta, sodic lakes, fishponds and floodplain edges, choosing sites around the season and priority ...

From EUR 100
Celestun Birding Day from Merida
Celestun Birding Day from Merida
Mexico / Celestun Private tour 1 day

A private birding day from Merida to Celestun Biosphere Reserve for flamingos, mangroves, coastal dunes and Yucatan specialties....

Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12-29, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12-29, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 18 days

An 18-day self-drive grand tour across southern Saskatchewan, linking boreal forest, major lakes, prairie parks and river valleys during the...

From CAD 15,900
Greenwater Lake Birding Tour – 3 great days in warbler heaven
Greenwater Lake Birding Tour – 3 great days in warbler heaven
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 1,290
Quill Lakes Birding Tour from Saskatoon, Moose Jaw or Regina – 2 great options for finding birds at Canada’s largest saline lake
Quill Lakes Birding Tour from Saskatoon, Moose Jaw or Regina – 2 great options for finding birds at Canada’s largest saline lake
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8h

An eight-hour private self-drive tour from Saskatoon to the Quill Lakes, focused on waterbirds and seasonal shorebird concentrations around ...

From CAD 740
Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour June 3 – 11, 2027 – from Saskatoon, Canada
Eastern Saskatchewan Birding Tour June 3 – 11, 2027 – from Saskatoon, Canada
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 9 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 50
Duck Mountain Park Tour from Saskatoon or Regina or Yorkton: 3 exciting days birding Saskatchewan’s eastern forests
Duck Mountain Park Tour from Saskatoon or Regina or Yorkton: 3 exciting days birding Saskatchewan’s eastern forests
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3 days

A private three-day self-drive tour from Saskatoon to Duck Mountain Provincial Park, combining eastern forest, lake and wetland birding with...

From CAD 2,590
Tobago Wetlands Birding Tour
Tobago Wetlands Birding Tour
Trinidad and Tobago / Tobago Private tour 5h

A 5 hour Tobago wetlands and shorebird tour visiting Tobago Plantations Estate, Bon Accord Sewage Ponds and Grafton Estate....

From USD 80
Caroni Bird Sanctuary Kayaking Nature Tour
Caroni Bird Sanctuary Kayaking Nature Tour
Trinidad and Tobago / Caroni Group tour 1 day

A guided Caroni Swamp kayaking session with support boat, instructors and mangrove wildlife watching....

From TTD 240
Sunrise Tour of Caroni Bird Sanctuary
Sunrise Tour of Caroni Bird Sanctuary
Trinidad and Tobago / Caroni Group tour 1 day

An early-morning Caroni Swamp boat outing for sunrise, Scarlet Ibis flight, flamingos and mangrove wildlife....

From TTD 200
Signature Caroni Bird Sanctuary Boat Tour
Signature Caroni Bird Sanctuary Boat Tour
Trinidad and Tobago / Caroni Group tour 1 day

A classic late-afternoon boat tour through Caroni Swamp mangroves for Scarlet Ibis roosting, herons, egrets, caimans and wetland wildlife....

From USD 20
2-Day West Coast Birding Tour
2-Day West Coast Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 2 days

Explore the Western Cape coast over two days, from Darling farmland and Geelbek shorebirds to a Berg River boat trip and Velddrif wetlands....

10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 10 days

A private or small-group Western Cape birding itinerary from Cape Town through the Cape Peninsula, West Coast, Tankwa Karoo, Agulhas Plain, ...