The Great Egret is a tall, all-white wading bird with a yellow bill and black legs, found on every continent except Antarctica. Its breeding plumes — lacy back feathers called aigrettes — were so fashionable in the late 19th century that the species was nearly hunted to extinction; outrage over the slaughter directly launched the conservation movement that created the Audubon Society. It is the symbol of the National Audubon Society.
Habitat
Wetlands, marshes, lake shores, and coastal estuaries
Diet
Fish, frogs, snakes, and aquatic invertebrates
How common
Common
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