GREAT EGRET Ardea alba
The largest of the white herons or "egrets", the Great Egret is a majestic species, sporting wonderful lace-like plumes on the back during the breeding season. These intricate plumes were almost the downfall of the species when, in the 19th Century, it was the fashion for society ladies to wear egret plumes on their hats. Hundreds of thousands of birds were killed to feed this trade, but as the species became rarer, the price rose and the plumes thankfully fell out of fashion. Today the bird is still rare in most of Europe which was the centre of the trade, but in Paraguay it is one of the commonest birds, and few roadside ponds are without their attendant Great Egret, staring patiently and waiting for a fish or frog to come that little bit too close!
FIGURE 1 - Adult, Fuerte Olimpo (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 2 - Adult hunting, Ruta Trans Chaco km293 (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 3 - Head detail juvenile, Buenos Aires Zoo (Paul Smith November 2006).
FIGURE 4 - Adult in flight, Bahía de Asunción, Departamento Central (Teatske Nieuborg 2007).
VIDEO - Same individual (Paul Smith September 2006).
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FIGURE 2

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Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, Rebecca Zarza, José Luis Cartes and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.