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Birds of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AVES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Birds (Class Aves)

-Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies (Order Pelecaniformes)

-Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns (Family Ardeidae)

-Typical Herons and Egrets (Subfamily Ardeinae)

-Great Herons (Genus Ardea)

-Great Egret (Ardea alba)


Great Egrets are, tall, long-legged wading birds with long, S-curved necks and long, dagger-like bills. In flight, the long neck is tucked in and the legs extend far beyond the tip of the short tail. they are completely white with a long yellow bill and dark gray legs. The ideal location for great egrets is near any form of water. Streams, lakes, ponds, mud flats, saltwater and freshwater marshes are inhabited the Great Egret. Wooded swamps and wetlands are the preferred location for Great Egrets. Frogs, snakes, crayfish, fish, mice, crickets, aquatic insects, grasshoppers, and many other insects constitute the typical diet of a Great Egret.

Great Egret

Ardea alba

Diet

  • Primarily fish, frogs, crayfish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans.

  • Also feeds on snakes, lizards, small mammals, and occasionally small birds.

  • Hunts by standing motionless or slowly stalking through shallow water before striking prey with its long, spear-like bill.

Range

  • Found on every continent except Antarctica, making it one of the world's most widespread herons.

  • Occurs throughout Mexico, including the Zihuatanejo region, where it is a common year-round resident.

  • Inhabits freshwater and saltwater marshes, lakes, rivers, ponds, estuaries, mangroves, mudflats, lagoons, and coastal wetlands.

  • Some northern populations migrate south during winter, while tropical populations are largely resident.

Male / Female

  • Male: Nearly identical to the female, although slightly larger on average. During the breeding season, develops long, elegant white plumes (aigrettes) on the back used in courtship displays.

  • Female: Very similar in appearance, usually slightly smaller but with the same white plumage, yellow bill (blackish during peak breeding), and black legs.

  • Sexes cannot be reliably distinguished in the field except by subtle size differences or breeding behaviour.

Size

  • Length: 80–104 cm (31.5–41 in)

  • Wingspan: 131–170 cm (52–67 in)

  • Weight: 700–1,500 g (1.5–3.3 lb)

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