What to Know About the Great Egret in Uganda?

The Great Egret in Uganda is one of the African birds in Uganda seen during Uganda birding safaris. The Great egret is sometimes called the common egret, the large egret, white egret or the great white heron.

It belongs to the heron family-Ardeidae, closely related to pelicans and classified with storks in ciconiiformes; unlike other egrets, the great egret belongs to the Ardea genus instead of Egretta.

It’s a great large heron standing up at 1m tall, between 80-104cm in length with a wingspan of 30 to 170 cm and it can weigh between 700 to 1500g.

How Does the Great Egret in Uganda Look Like?

The Great Egret is typically huge and snowy, with dusky forelegs and feet and a plain facial covering that spreads yonder the eye.

It is thus only somewhat lesser than the great blue or grey heron. Minus its size, the great egret can be separated from the rest of white egrets by its yellow beak and dusky legs and feet, however the bill may convert to blacker and the lower legs brighter during the breeding season.

How Does the Great Egret in Uganda Sing and Make Calls

The great egret if a silent bird, its produces a low croaky voice when troubled while when breeding in groups, it normally gives a flashy “cuk-cuk-cuk” together with loud-pitched squawking.

How Does the Great Egret in Uganda Feed?

Feeding frequently takes place in shallow water but sometimes in drier areas. Their mainly food is fish, frogs, small mammals but also small reptiles and insects.

Great egrets are stand -wait feeders, they stand still in shallow water and wait to pierce the prey with the sharp elongated bill.

Its forage habits are very much related to that of great blue herons. The chicks feed on regurgitated fish, frogs given to them by parents.

How Does the Great Egret in Uganda Nest?

The great egrets usually nest in areas near water, in trees, shrubs and thickets. The pair of adults build a platform mad of sticks and grass and it is placed higher about the water. The nest site is chosen by the male.

How Does the Great Egret in Uganda Breed?

Their first breeding happens between 2-3 years. The great egrets often breed in multi species of colonies also isolated pairs can be seen. The males display courtships tactics to attract the female at their nest.

How Does the Great Egret in Uganda Reproduce?

The female great egret lays about 3-4 eggs, both adults incubate the eggs for about 23-26 days. Chicks are fed by their parents by regurgitated food.

At 3-4 weeks after hatching, the chicks may begin to fly above the nest and around the nest site but their fledging continues up to 6-7weeks.