Great White Egret

Egretta alba (Linnaeus, 1758)

		in flight
2021-01-26 Ozernoe, Chuy region 2021-01-09 Chui valley, Ozernoe.	© Tatiana Menshikova © Philippe Campeau

Biology

Common breeding migrant. Inhabits plain lakes with the plenty reed-beds, trees, bushes, nearby the shallow water. In spring appears early in the time of emergence of the first patches of open water, but the majority of birds migrate in small flocks from the mid-March to early April (in a late spring only at the end of April). Begins to breed immediately after arrival. Nests in separate pairs or in small colonies of one-two dozen pairs, often together with Grey Heron and Spoonbill. Nest is located in the reed-beds; is built from the dry reed stems and leaves, or rarely from thin twigs in the case of location of the nest on trees. Clutch of 3-4, rare 5 eggs is produced from mid-April to beginning of May. Juveniles begin to fly from mid-May to beginning of August. At first Egrets disperse by families, then are united in flocks sometimes numbering to 1500 birds. Autumn migration is intensive mostly in September – early October.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.