The Story
I made this photo of a Great Egret (Ardea alba) at Posada Turística Kenisha in Prado, Tolima, Colombia. Apart from its size, its yellow bill and black legs and feet set it apart from other white egrets. In breeding plumage it carries delicate ornamental feathers on its back. It is not usually a vocal bird, but it gives a low, hoarse croak when disturbed. It weighs around 1,000 grams on average. Prado sits at about 321 meters on the right bank of the Magdalena, crossed by its tributary the Prado River.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/640 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200, −1 EV. IUCN lists the Great Egret as Least Concern, with a stable population.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Great Egret (Ardea alba) belongs to the family Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List
