Egret Full Wing Span is a photograph by Deborah Benoit which was uploaded on December 26th, 2012.
Egret Full Wing Span
An egret (pron.: /ˈiːɡrət/) is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes... more
Title
Egret Full Wing Span
Artist
Deborah Benoit
Medium
Photograph - Original Photography By Deborah Benoit
Description
An egret (pron.: /ˈiːɡrət/) is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which also contain other species named as herons rather than egrets. The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague, and depends more on appearance than biology. The word "egret" comes from the French word "aigrette" that means both "silver heron" and "brush," referring to the long filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season.
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Several of the egrets have been reclassified from one genus to another in recent years: the Great Egret, for example, has been classified as a member of either Casmerodius, Egretta or Ardea.
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In the 19th and early part of the 20th century, some of the world's egret species were endangered by relentless plume hunting, since hat makers in Europe and the United States demanded large numbers of egret plumes, leading to breeding birds being killed in many places around the world.
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Several Egretta species, including the Eastern Reef Egret, the Reddish Egret and the Western Reef Egret have two distinct colours, one of which is entirely white. Little Blue Heron has all-white juvenile plumage.
Uploaded
December 26th, 2012
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Comments (38)
Jane Small
Extraordinary image of this amazing bird. Love the way his wings fill almost the whole picture! v/f
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