Ardea alba

Biological Overview

Habitat
Shallow freshwater, brackish, and saltwater wetlands.

Diet
Fish, frogs, snakes, and other small animals.

Role in Ecosystem
Top predator in the wetland ecosystem.

Behavior
Known for sitting or standing patiently while immersed in water.

Human Impact

To harvest the plumes, hunters targeted nesting adult birds. As a result, the great egret almost went extinct and this started in the late 1800s. Also they face habitat loss and water pollution. Due to these reasons, the egrets almost went extinct.

Creative Exploration

I have feathers, I act as a vital predator in the ecosystem. I am large, with dark legs, standing 3 feet tall. I am a bird-well-I am a great egret. I just have woken up and I am hungry! I see a bird: I am going to attack the prey! I’ve got it now; I will eat it in my own time. Now I will fly back home. I see a tree that looks very nice. I see butterflies, pinecones, and grassland. Birds are flying past me. Now I have arrived home. I am tired after hunting. I will go to sleep until I feel better because the food was not the best today.

Dominic Lisi, Colton Knapp, Cristian Dominguez Facundo

Book 5