Egretta alba - Great White Egret
Feather characters. Barbule length varies from medium until long (1.2-2.1 mm). Barbules are not pigmented. Borders between cells are visible, but hardly swollen and thus too small to qualify as nodes. These nodal structures (12-14 per mm) have about the same size along the entire length of the barbules, only slightly decreasing towards the tip. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Minute prongs are mostly located on proximal end of barbules on both sides of the pennulum.
Field characters. Size 85-102 cm. Weight (960-1680) (Bauer and Glutz 1966). Large, slender, immaculate white heron, with long thin neck and long plumes on upper breast and base of neck; no plumes on head. Loose white plumes also on scapulars when breeding, extending over back. Legs and toes black; bill yellow during most of the year, but black with yellow base in breeding season. Juveniles like non-breeding adults, but without plumes.
Voice. Occasionally a croaking note; more vocal at colony, where uttering a number of cawing sounds.
Distribution. Breeds solitary or in small colonies; rare. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Breeds in extensive, dense reedbeds or other tall aquatic vegetation, or in shrubs or low trees. Forages in lowland meadows, marshes, depressions, floodlands, etc.
Food. Diet varies with time of year; in the wet season consists mainly of fish and aquatic insects, in the dry season small mammals and terrestrial insects. In shallow water, prey is taken after slowly stalking with body held horizontally, or after standing motionless with stiff neck and leaning forward, thus waiting for prey to come within striking distance.