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

27 tours in Canada 5, Bosnia and Herzegovina 4, Trinidad and Tobago 4, Peru 3, United States 2, Mexico 2, South Africa 2, The Gambia 1, France 1, Bulgaria 1, Uganda 1, Hungary 1

Two-Day Sacred Valley Wetlands and Aquatic Birding
Two-Day Sacred Valley Wetlands and Aquatic Birding
Peru / Ollantaytambo Group tour 2 days

A two-day wetlands program around Huaypo, Chacan and Anta, combining waterbird and owl searches with access to the Birds Hotel Molino hydroh...

Six-Day Andean Endemics and Cloud Forest Birding with Birds Hotel Molino
Six-Day Andean Endemics and Cloud Forest Birding with Birds Hotel Molino
Peru / Ollantaytambo Group tour 6 days

A six-day route linking Sacred Valley hummingbird gardens, cloud forest, Abra Malaga highlands and Huaypo wetlands, with Birds Hotel Molino ...

Private Lamin Lodge Birds and Breakfast Half-Day Tour
Private Lamin Lodge Birds and Breakfast Half-Day Tour
The Gambia / Lamin Private tour 7h

A private early-morning tour with breakfast at Lamin Lodge, mangrove birding by traditional canoe, and an extended session in the nearby ric...

From GBP 125
Private Louisiana Coastal Marsh Birding Expedition
Private Louisiana Coastal Marsh Birding Expedition
United States / Hopedale Private tour 6h

A private skiff-based birding trip for up to three guests through Louisiana coastal marshes, with half-day and full-day options....

From USD 300
Wings of the Wetlands Birding Boat Tour
Wings of the Wetlands Birding Boat Tour
United States / Chalmette Group tour 1 day

A guided 1-hour-45-minute boat tour through Bayou Bienvenue and the Central Wetlands, looking for herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills and rap...

From USD 60
Private 4-Night Bluethroat and Marsh Bird Photography Tour
Private 4-Night Bluethroat and Marsh Bird Photography Tour
France / Le Croisic Private tour 5 days

Photograph Bluethroats and wetland birds across the Guérande salt marshes and Grande Brière during a private April program for one or two ...

From EUR 800
Private Full-Day Birds of Bulgaria Tour with Skygaze
Private Full-Day Birds of Bulgaria Tour with Skygaze
Bulgaria / Sofia Private tour 1 day

Explore Bulgarian birdlife on a private full-day outing with Skygaze, combining an ornithologist-led route, off-road transport, binoculars a...

From EUR 900
Five-Day Livanjsko Field Birding Program with Stur.ba
Five-Day Livanjsko Field Birding Program with Stur.ba
Bosnia and Herzegovina / Livno Custom tour 5 days

Make Livanjsko field the focus of a five-day birding visit, taking in the character of western Bosnia’s wetland and grassland landscape th...

From EUR 800
Three-Day Birdwatching in Livanjsko Field with Stur.ba
Three-Day Birdwatching in Livanjsko Field with Stur.ba
Bosnia and Herzegovina / Livno Custom tour 3 days

Choose a three-day birdwatching program in Livanjsko field, with Livno as the regional setting and a focus on the basin’s wetlands, open c...

From EUR 500
Full-Day Livanjsko Field Birdwatching with Stur.ba
Full-Day Livanjsko Field Birdwatching with Stur.ba
Bosnia and Herzegovina / Livno Custom tour 1 day

Spend a full day birdwatching in the Livno region, exploring the birding possibilities of a karst field shaped by wetlands, grasslands, rive...

From EUR 90
Half-Day Birdwatching in Livanjsko Field with Stur.ba
Half-Day Birdwatching in Livanjsko Field with Stur.ba
Bosnia and Herzegovina / Livno Custom tour 4h

Take a half-day birding excursion around Livanjsko field near Livno, where open grasslands and wetlands create a varied setting for individu...

From EUR 45
Eight-Day Sacred Valley and Cloud Forest Birding with Birds Hotel Molino
Eight-Day Sacred Valley and Cloud Forest Birding with Birds Hotel Molino
Peru / Ollantaytambo Group tour 8 days

An eight-day journey from Sacred Valley hummingbird gardens to cloud forest, Abra Málaga, Patacancha and Huaypo wetlands, with Birds Hotel ...

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, ...