Great Egret: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Herons, Egrets and Pelicans · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. The great egret is all white with a yellow bill and black feet. The smaller snowy egret has it the other way round: black bill, yellow feet.
2. Watch its neck in flight: like other herons, it tucks it in. Storks, cranes and spoonbills fly with their necks stretched out.
3. The male picks the nesting spot and starts building first. Only then does he try to attract a female.
4. This egret shows up on money: it is pictured on New Zealand's $2 coin and on Hungary's 5-forint coin.
5. It is spreading north. In 2024, a pair raised three chicks in Aberdeenshire, the first great egret chicks to hatch in Scotland.

The quiz

1. What colours are the great egret's bill and feet?

• Black bill, yellow feet
• Red bill, pink feet
• Yellow bill, black feet (correct)
• Black bill, black feet

Its bill is yellow and its feet are black, the reverse of the snowy egret.

2. How does a great egret hold its neck when flying?

• Stretched straight out
• Tucked in (correct)
• Twisted to one side
• Pointing up to the sky

Like other herons, it flies with its neck pulled in.

3. What does a male great egret do before attracting a female?

• He picks a nest site and starts a nest (correct)
• He sings for a whole day
• He brings her a fish
• He dances on the water

He selects the nest area and starts a nest, then attracts a female.

4. On which country's $2 coin does the great egret appear?

• Canada
• Australia
• United States
• New Zealand (correct)

The great egret features on the New Zealand $2 coin.

5. Where did the first great egret chicks in Scotland hatch?

• On a city rooftop
• On an island in the Arctic
• At a nature reserve in Aberdeenshire (correct)
• In a zoo in Edinburgh

In 2024 a pair raised three chicks at the Loch of Strathbeg reserve in Aberdeenshire.

More about the Great Egret

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries