Egrets

Birds of North America

Ardeidae

Lives, Habitats & Pictures of the Egrets

The North American egrets are a common sight in the wetlands and swamps of the south-eastern portions of the United States. This was not always the case, because of the beautiful feathers the egrets displayed in their breeding plumage; they were hunted almost to extinction in the 19th and 20th centuries. The plumages were collected and used in ladies fashion wares. To stop this practice, the hunting of egrets was made illegal, by protecting these birds under federal laws.

Today, the egrets are once again being threatened for another reason. The loss of their habitat through the draining of wetlands, due to agriculture and housing expansions. Local and federal governments, as well as individual organizations are purchasing tracts of land, creating parks and reserves, providing areas for these birds and others to exist.

There are four species of egrets in North America, other than the visiting bird blown in from another country or an escaped exotic bird from its' compound. The Great Egret is the most common, seen from Florida all the way into Southern Canada during the warmer months. The Cattle Egret can be seen over the same range, but not as common as the Great Egret. The Snowy Egret and Reddish Egret are more apt to be seen in the United States, mostly in the south-eastern areas.

Click on the bird names listed below to see pictures of Egrets