Egrets (/ˈiːɡrəts/EE-grəts) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build.
Many egrets are members of the generaEgretta or Ardea, which also contain other species named as herons rather than egrets. The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague, and depends more on appearance than biology. The word "egret" comes from the French word aigrette that means both "silver heron" and "brush", referring to the long, filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season (also called "egrets").
Several of the egrets have been reclassified from one genus to another in recent years; the great egret, for example, has been classified as a member of either Casmerodius, Egretta, or Ardea.
In the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries, some of the world's egret species were endangered by relentless plume hunting, since hat makers in Europe and the United States demanded large numbers of egret plumes, leading to breeding birds being killed in many places around the world.[1]
Egrets inhabit all continents; although they typically avoid the coldest regions, arid deserts, and very high mountains. They hunt and live in both saltwater and freshwater marshes.[2]
^The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "Egret". All About Birds. Cornell University. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
External linksedit
Data related to Ardeidae at Wikispecies
Well written and illustrated Egret article Encyclopaedia Britannica
Great egret Ardea alba—USGS+24r5
January 08, 2024
egret, satellite, mission, egret, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, . For the satellite mission see EGRET This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Egret news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Egrets ˈ iː ɡ r e t s EE grets are herons generally long legged wading birds that have white or buff plumage developing fine plumes usually milky white during the breeding season Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build EgretEastern great egret Ardea alba modesta Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder PelecaniformesFamily ArdeidaeSubfamily ArdeinaeGroups includedEgrettaArdeaBubulcusMesophoyxCladistically included but traditionally excluded taxaNycticoraxNyctanassaGorsachiusButoridesAgamiaPilherodiusArdeolaSyrigma Contents 1 Biology 2 Species in taxonomic order 3 Habitat 4 References 5 External linksBiology edit nbsp Great egret in flight nbsp Egrets at dusk in Kolleru Lake Andhra Pradesh IndiaMany egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which also contain other species named as herons rather than egrets The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague and depends more on appearance than biology The word egret comes from the French word aigrette that means both silver heron and brush referring to the long filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret s back during the breeding season also called egrets Several of the egrets have been reclassified from one genus to another in recent years the great egret for example has been classified as a member of either Casmerodius Egretta or Ardea In the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries some of the world s egret species were endangered by relentless plume hunting since hat makers in Europe and the United States demanded large numbers of egret plumes leading to breeding birds being killed in many places around the world 1 Several Egretta species including the eastern reef egret the reddish egret and the western reef egret have two distinct colours one of which is just white The little blue heron has all white juvenile plumage Species in taxonomic order edit nbsp Egret from EgyptGreat egret or great white egret Ardea alba Great blue heron Ardea herodias Intermediate egret Mesophoyx intermedia Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis Little egret Egretta garzetta Snowy egret Egretta thula Reddish egret Egretta rufescens Slaty egret Egretta vinaceigula Black egret Egretta ardesiaca Chinese egret Egretta eulophotes Eastern reef egret or Pacific reef heron Egretta sacra Western reef egret or Western reef heron Egretta gularis nbsp Egret at Palakkad IndiaHabitat editEgrets inhabit all continents although they typically avoid the coldest regions arid deserts and very high mountains They hunt and live in both saltwater and freshwater marshes 2 References edit Great Egret 13 November 2014 The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Egret All About Birds Cornell University Retrieved 11 August 2015 External links edit nbsp Data related to Ardeidae at Wikispecies Well written and illustrated Egret article Encyclopaedia Britannica Great egret Ardea alba USGS 24r5 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Egret amp oldid 1159098386, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
