White Egret Pair-4189

A White Egret mating pair tends their nest with a single first egg. The ornamental plumes they exhibit during the breeding season are called aigrettes (pronounced egrets). These lovely specialized feathers define their species as only the herons with ornamental back plumes are called egrets. Aigrettes are at their most luxuriant when breeding and will begin to fall off as the chicks they are raising grow. This is why the plume hunters nearly caused the loss of this lovely species. Birds would be shot during the breeding season, even sitting on their nest when these plumes were loveliest.

WhiteEgretmatingPair4189FloridaEgretsWhite EgretGreat EgretAmerican Egretnestingeggegret eggbreedingnesting colonyherons