Heron or egret?
Somewhere on Daniel Island a couple stops, captivated by a tall, striking bird standing perfectly still at a pond’s edge. Perhaps it is a thin, elegant animal covered in beautiful blue and gray feathers. Or maybe its plumage is a brilliant white.
“Is that an egret or a heron?” one person asks the other. Probably everyone who spends much time outside on Daniel Island has seen both, and surely the scene above has been repeated many times. The two birds frequent nearly every marshy area and wetland (both freshwater and saltwater) that we have.
Identifying them can be challenging. We have many birds of the order Pelecaniformes on the island throughout the year. These include three families: the pelicans; the ibises and spoonbills; and the bitterns, herons and allies. Many of these birds prefer similar habitats and some look very much alike. Identification is complicated further by quirks such as the white phase of the great blue heron, which is hard to tell from a great egret unless one pays close attention.
There is no way to address all of these species in one article, so this first piece will focus only on the egrets. The two most common egrets on Daniel Island are Ardea alba, the great egret, and Egretta thula, the snowy egret. An occasional cattle egret can be seen, too, more typically in fields than in the marshes. Both great and snowy egrets are “snowy” white, but several characteristics help distinguish the two.
Perhaps stating the obvious, the great egret is the larger of the two birds, standing roughly three feet tall and weighing two pounds when grown. Its plumage is stunning and almost led to its extinction over 100 years ago. In the late 1800s, demand for its feathers for use in ladies’ hats became so high that it nearly wiped out the U.S. population. In fact, the great egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society, and saving this bird was one of the organization’s first undertakings. If size alone doesn’t concretely identify the great egret, it has black legs and a yellow bill. Its favorite hunting method is ambush, and it will stand stationary for long periods awaiting a fish, snake, frog, insect or other fare which ventures too close. Egrets will, however, indulge in chasing food on occasion.
Arguably as beautiful, but smaller in size, the snowy egret may be found standing side by side with its great egret cousin. Half the size of its larger relative, it is two feet tall and weighs about one pound as an adult. Snowy egrets suffered similarly for their feathers, but thankfully both birds’ populations are healthy now. Black beaks with a small patch of yellow skin near the base and black legs with yellow feet serve to positively identify the snowy egret.
Both species are on Daniel Island and along the southern half of both U.S. coasts and Mexico year-round. They are also permanent residents of Cuba, Hispaniola, other Caribbean islands and parts of Central and South America. Some do migrate, however, and they can be found in much of the lower two-thirds of the U.S., occasionally even reaching Canada.
Male egrets were early supporters of gender equality and actually start building nests before trying to impress potential mates. They typically nest in colonies with both fellow egrets and other birds. Nests are normally built in trees, where both birds help incubate the eggs and care for the young when hatched. The great egret may have one or two broods per year consisting of six or fewer eggs. The snowy egret typically has only one brood of this same size.
Great egrets have been documented to live for over 20 years and snowy egrets for over 15, so we might be seeing the same birds in our marshes and ponds for decades. Returning to our couple at the opening of the article, what is the best answer to their question? When unsure whether a bird is a heron or an egret, call it a heron, because egrets are actually herons. Then take a moment to appreciate the abundant natural beauty we have such easy access to here in our “island town.”