The Great Egret (Egretta alba) is a large, yet slender, completely white bird. In size it is almost the same as the grey heron, but in its white plumage it looks more elegant. If you stretched it completely, from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail you would measure 85 to 100 cm, and its wingspan ranges from 145 to 170 cm. By size and snow-white plumage we will easily recognize it; in addition its legs are entirely dark, including the dark toes. Its long, spear-shaped bill is yellow outside the breeding season, and darkens during breeding. In this time its legs above the knees lighten and long feathers grow on its back that extend far beyond the tail. Similar feathers also grow on its chest.
This is a diurnal bird that is most active at dawn and in the evening twilight, when it hunts for food alone or in small groups. In wetland areas, for example on lakes and rivers, marshes or seashores, it mostly preys on fish, amphibians, snakes and aquatic invertebrates—mainly insects and crayfish. In dry areas, the majority of its diet consists of terrestrial animals, such as large insects, reptiles, young birds and small mammals. In the evening, great white herons gather at a communal roost. They spend the night most often in trees by the water.
The Great White Egret nests from April to June in colonies of varying size, from a few dozen to several hundred pairs. The nest, made of twigs and other plant material, is most often built on a tree over water or in reeds. In Slovenia the Great White Egret does not nest, but it is a regular visitor during migrations. Some of them also winter here, so we can regularly observe these beauties also at Cerknica Lake.
The greatest threat to the existence of the Great White Egret is the degradation and loss of wetlands — primarily due to drying up and transformation into arable land, but in recent years we have increasingly realized the exceptional importance of its habitat for the Earth and also for humanity. These ecosystems, after all, constitute the planet’s largest natural filtration system, while at the same time they also mitigate extreme weather events and climate change. Therefore, by protecting and preserving wetlands we will safeguard not only the Great White Egret and the multitude of other beings tied to them, but also our descendants.
