Common name: Great Egret
Scientific name: Ardea alba
Family: Ardeidae

Size:
Body length: 85–100 cm
Wingspan: 140–170 cm
Weight: 700–1500 g

Identification:
A large, elegant white heron with a long neck, long black legs, and a straight yellow bill. In breeding season, it develops delicate ornamental plumes on the back. It is larger and more slender than the Little Egret, lacking black bill and yellow feet combination. In flight, it holds its neck in an “S” shape like other herons.

Habitat:
Wetlands, lakes, rivers, marshes, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and flooded fields. Prefers shallow water for feeding.

Status in the UAE:
Common winter visitor and passage migrant, with some individuals present year-round in suitable wetlands.

Diet:
Carnivorous — feeds on fish, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and small mammals.

Behavior:
A patient hunter, often standing still before striking quickly at prey. Can also actively walk through shallow water. Usually solitary while feeding but may gather in groups in rich feeding areas. Nests colonially with other herons.

Conservation status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)