The Story
I photographed this Great Egret (Ardea alba) with a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) near the Mai Po Marshes in Hong Kong’s northwest New Territories on March 22, 2018. The great egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society. The great egret can stand up to about a meter tall, with a wingspan of up to 170 centimeters. Apart from its size, it can be told from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet. IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. Mai Po lies within the Inner Deep Bay Ramsar site, listed as a Wetland of International Importance in 1995.
I took this with a Pentax K-1 and the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW, at 1/1250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100, −1 EV. WWF’s work at Mai Po, including education and bird monitoring with public help, keeps this wetland open to people and safe for birds.
©2018 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