Urban Birds Loja Ecuador Great Egret, Ardea alba

91,5 – 99 cm (36-39″).

Distribution

Urban Birds of Loja Ecuador. Widespread near both fresh and salt water in lowlands, a few records from higland lakes; most numerous near south west coast. Formerly separated in genus Casmerodius.

Description:

Iris yellow, bill bright yellow, loral skin yellow – green (brighter when breeding); legs black. Adult entirely white, with long filmy aigrettes springing from back and foreneck when breeding. Juvenile similar bit yellow bill tipped dusky. Urban Birds of Loja Ecuador

Habits

Similar in feeding behavior to Cocoi Heron but Great Egret differs in its more gregarious habits: it regularly agther in sizable flocks (even flocks of hundreds in southwest). Nest in colonies, often together with other herons. Urban Birds of Loja Ecuador.

In Loja we can find it rarely in some ponds located around the city.

Information taken from the book Birds Of Ecuador of Robert Ridgely and Paul Greenfield.