Why Egrets are so Great!

By the end of December, many of Maine’s colonial wading birds have already departed for warmer regions. It is hard to fault them for seeking a more comfortable winter climate. Although these birds are absent during this season, December often brings two particular species to mind: the Great Egret and the Snowy Egret.

Their importance goes far beyond their striking white plumage. The dramatic decline of these two egret species nearly brought them to extinction and helped inspire the creation of the National Audubon Society, as well as the first annual Christmas Bird Count.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, feathers were an extremely fashionable decoration for women’s hats, hairstyles and clothing. These ornamental feathers were known as “aigrettes,” a term closely related to the French word for egret. Both Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets were heavily targeted because of the high demand for their breeding plumes.

Egret feathers became extraordinarily valuable. One ounce of plumes could sell for around $32, which was approximately twice the price of gold at the time. Producing that amount required the feathers of about four adult egrets during the breeding season. Furthermore, killing a breeding adult often meant the loss of two or three eggs or chicks. With millions of waterbirds being slaughtered for the millinery industry, it is easy to understand how these elegant birds came so close to disappearing.

The Beginning of Bird Conservation

Concern over the enormous number of waterbirds killed for the fashion industry helped trigger some of the earliest organized bird conservation efforts in the United States.

In 1886, the Massachusetts Audubon Society was established. Other states soon created their own Audubon organizations, and these groups eventually came together to form what is now known as the National Audubon Society.

In 1900, Audubon member Frank Chapman suggested an alternative to the traditional Christmas Side Hunt. The Side Hunt was a holiday competition in which participants attempted to kill and collect as many birds and other animals as possible. Chapman proposed counting birds instead of shooting them, creating the first Christmas Bird Census.

Over the following decades, several protective laws were introduced, giving egret populations an opportunity to recover. These conservation measures played an important role in helping both species return to areas where they had previously disappeared.

The Great Egret as a Conservation Symbol

The Great Egret has become an enduring symbol of the early bird conservation movement and appropriately serves as the emblem of the National Audubon Society.

Following their recovery, the two species gradually expanded their ranges. By the beginning of the 1970s, Snowy Egrets had reached Maine, while Great Egrets followed roughly two decades later.

Today, both species are believed to nest on only a small number of coastal islands in the southern portion of Maine. Each spring, estimates suggest that approximately 100 pairs of Snowy Egrets and around 40 pairs of Great Egrets breed in the state.

Because these birds are considered part of populations that have only recently expanded into Maine, they do not currently receive protection under the Maine Endangered Species Act in the same way as long-established species such as the Black-crowned Night-Heron.

Egret Colonies and Seasonal Movements

Colonies of egrets can also include other species of wading birds. These may include the Great Blue Heron, which is considered a Maine Species of Special Concern, and the Black-crowned Night-Heron, which is listed as state endangered.

For this reason, wildlife officials pay attention to the locations of nesting colonies and monitor the number of birds present. However, spotting a Great Egret or Snowy Egret somewhere in Maine does not necessarily mean that a breeding colony is nearby, particularly when the bird is observed during autumn.

After the breeding season ends, colonial wading birds commonly spread out in various directions before beginning their southward migration. Scientists refer to this behavior as “nondirectional wandering.”

This seasonal wandering helps explain why Great Egrets can sometimes appear far from known nesting sites. For example, at least a dozen Great Egrets were observed around the Essex Woods marsh in Bangor during September. Although the birds were not known to breed in the surrounding area, they remained there for several weeks before continuing their migration south.

A Christmas Bird Count Experience

One year, I took part in the 116th Christmas Bird Count, recording every bird I could see or hear within a designated area during a single day. My assigned territory included the Essex Woods marsh mentioned earlier.

Although I did not encounter any egrets during the Christmas Bird Count, the frozen marsh still brought these remarkable birds to mind. Their brilliant feathers, once responsible for bringing them dangerously close to extinction, now serve as a reminder of how important conservation can be.

In a way, the egrets also provide an annual reason to spend time outdoors, observe birds carefully and appreciate the wildlife around us.

Interesting Egret Facts

The exposed areas of an egret’s body, including parts such as the bill and legs, can change color during the breeding season.

In colonies containing several wading bird species, egrets often arrive early and may encourage other species to begin nesting.

The Snowy Egret displays an exceptionally wide variety of feeding techniques. Its hunting behaviors can include standing still, vibrating its bill, moving its head from side to side, pecking, walking slowly, walking rapidly, running, hopping, flicking its wings, feeding with its wings spread, stirring the bottom with its feet and hovering above the water.

The presence of Snowy Egrets in a feeding area can sometimes attract other wading birds to the same location.

Snowy Egrets have occasionally been known to breed with other species, including Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons and Cattle Egrets.

The Great Egret can be distinguished from the white form of the Great Blue Heron found in southern Florida. Great Egrets are slightly smaller, standing roughly seven inches shorter, and have black legs and feet. The white form of the Great Blue Heron has pinkish-yellow legs. Great Egrets also lack the head plumes seen on the white form of the Great Blue Heron.

One of the less pleasant aspects of egret life is that chicks may sometimes kill their siblings, a behavior known as siblicide. This is generally associated with difficult breeding seasons when food is scarce and competition between young birds becomes especially intense.