White, Elegant, Waterbirds… Egrets

By Keith Hutton on December 18, 2013 in Other

Egrets are medium to large, usually white herons that develop spectacular plumes in the breeding season. They include some of the most beautiful and elegant birds in the world and in the past this resulted in the collection of nesting adults whose breeding plumes were used as fashion accessories. In London a sale on a single day in 1909 represented 24,000 adult birds killed and more than twice as many eggs and chicks left to die as a result of disturbance at breeding colonies and the wholesale slaughter of parents. The Snowy Egret in the USA was hunted to the point of extinction and, as a consequence, some of the first wildlife conservation societies in the world were set up to protect egrets. Subsequently new laws, and changes in fashion, reduced the demand for egret plumes. All Australian species now appear to be safe from that extraordinary threat.

In Australia there are three long established, widespread species of egrets that are pure white throughout the year and they can all be seen in the Sydney region. Little Egrets are the smallest, Eastern Great Egrets are the biggest and the aptly named Intermediate Egrets are in between. A fourth species, the Cattle Egret, colonised and established itself in Australia last century and is now seen regularly in Sydney. Identification of egrets can be confusing in winter when all the species are completely white, however, Cattle Egrets are smaller than the others and in spring and summer are unmistakable when they have distinctive spiky orange-buff plumes on the head, breast and back.

Egrets generally avoid arid areas but are found throughout better-watered regions in a variety of wetlands. Cattle Egrets prefer to associate with grazing livestock in small groups, whereas the other species are often seen alone and usually wading, or very close to water. However, they all breed in colonies and build their nests in trees, usually but not always over water, and often with different species located in groups within the same colony.

All egrets are hunters that catch live prey. Fish, crustaceans, amphibians, insects, and to a lesser extent reptiles are all on the menu. Eastern Great Egrets also take small birds and animals, and Cattle Egrets largely eat insects disturbed by grazing livestock.

Eastern Great Egrets are moderately common in Sydney, with other species less likely to be seen. All egrets have experienced mixed fortunes in Australia since white settlement. The slaughter related to fashion in Victorian times was devastating and is almost incomprehensible in this day and age. Since then, land clearing, increased cattle grazing and irrigation have probably improved feeding opportunities, but this has been at the expense of nesting habitat, and destruction and degradation of natural freshwater wetlands. Nevertheless, egret populations now appear to be stable and secure in suitable habitat throughout Australia.