Jeff Wendorff's photography gallery of
Egrets from the family, Ardeidae.
Egret WikiAn egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season.
Many 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.
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 century, some of the world's egret species were endangered by relentless plume hunting. Hat makers in Europe and the United States demanded huge numbers of egret plumes, leading to the death of breeding birds in many places around the world.
Egrets Photographed Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis
Great Egret, Ardea albaLittle Egret, Egretta garzetta
Reddish Egret, Egretta rufscens
Snowy Egret, Egretta thula Collective Noun There are several collective nouns for a group of egrets. Egrets, a colony, a congregation, a heronry, a RSVP, stand, a skewer, and a wedge. Does anyone agree that the obvious collective noun a plume is missing?
A group of Cattle Egrets is called a stampede!
Photography Workshops and Tours I lead photography workshops all over the planet, and many of them include bird photography. Check out my website
Wildlife Workshops for all of the details.
