The Story
I photographed this Great Egret (Ardea alba) near La Macarena, Meta, Colombia, in February 2021. Also known as the Common Egret or Great White Egret, it stands up to a meter tall, with a wingspan of 131 to 170 centimeters. In the breeding season it grows delicate ornamental feathers on its back. In North America large numbers were killed in the late nineteenth century for their plumes, and the species recovered after conservation measures. It builds its nests in trees, in colonies close to water. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Canon R5 with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L for this one, at 1/6000 sec, f/6.7, ISO 800, −2 EV. Flooded forest covers about 13 percent of La Macarena National Park, mostly along the Guayabero River.
©2021 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