Great Egret (Ardea alba) is in the Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns family (Ardeidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 220,972 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in September.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Great Egret: observations by month (U.S.)
About Great Egret
The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret, with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world. It builds tree nests in colonies close to water.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Great Egret by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 57,129 | January | Dec–Nov |
| Texas | 44,957 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Florida | 37,495 | January | Dec–Nov |
| New York | 6,034 | June | Apr–Oct |
| South Carolina | 6,016 | June | May–Apr |
| Ohio | 4,860 | May | Apr–Oct |
| Louisiana | 4,478 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Illinois | 4,398 | August | Apr–Oct |
| New Jersey | 4,309 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Virginia | 4,238 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Oregon | 3,655 | September | Aug–Jul |
| North Carolina | 3,469 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Massachusetts | 3,456 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Pennsylvania | 3,425 | August | Jul–Oct |
| Georgia | 2,739 | August | Jul–Jun |
| Arizona | 2,555 | December | Sep–May |
| Minnesota | 2,476 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Maryland | 2,436 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Michigan | 2,070 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Alabama | 1,860 | September | Aug–Jul |
| Connecticut | 1,540 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Wisconsin | 1,435 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Missouri | 1,344 | April | Apr–Oct |
| Mississippi | 1,249 | December | Nov–Oct |
| Oklahoma | 1,243 | April | Apr–Oct |
| Delaware | 1,146 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Tennessee | 1,114 | August | Jun–Oct |
| Indiana | 980 | September | Apr–Oct |
| Washington | 934 | September | Apr–Jan |
| Vermont | 918 | September | Jul–Oct |
| Nevada | 910 | January | Dec–Nov |
| Maine | 784 | August | Apr–Oct |
| Rhode Island | 766 | June | Apr–Sep |
| Arkansas | 705 | September | Jun–Oct |
| District of Columbia | 647 | September | Jul–Oct |
| Kansas | 614 | September | Apr–Oct |
| Idaho | 399 | September | Apr–Oct |
| Colorado | 377 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Kentucky | 373 | September | Apr–Sep |
| Utah | 323 | May | Apr–Jun |
| New Mexico | 290 | April | Mar–May |
| Iowa | 233 | September | Jul–Oct |
| New Hampshire | 149 | August | Jul–Sep |
| South Dakota | 146 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Nebraska | 121 | April | Apr–May |
| West Virginia | 84 | April | Apr–Apr |
| North Dakota | 63 | September | May–Sep |
| Montana | 11 | May | May–Jun |
| Wyoming | 9 | May | Apr–May |
| Alaska | 7 | May | Mar–May |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related birds (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
Great Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Photography tips
- Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
- Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
- Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
- Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Great Egret?
Nationally, September has the most observations, with the main season from August to July.
Where is Great Egret most often seen?
The most observations come from California, Texas, Florida.