Great Egret

The great egret is a large, all-white heron standing up to 1m tall, 80–104cm long with a wingspan of 131–170cm and a weight of 700–1,500g, only slightly smaller than a grey heron. Apart from size it is told from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet, though the bill may darken and the lower legs lighten when breeding, and by a gape line that extends well behind the eye. In breeding plumage it carries delicate ornamental plumes on the back. The sexes look alike (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is found across most tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world and has a large and expanding range, recently spreading into northern Europe. It nests in trees in colonies close to water. It flies slowly with its neck drawn in. Four subspecies are recognised, the smallest, modesta, in Asia and Australasia. It is placed with the great herons in Ardea rather than with the typical egrets (Wikipedia, general species account).