Welcome to another installment of Field Guide Face-Off, a series I created to compare some of Florida’s most commonly confused species and provide ways to tell them apart. This time were jumping right in and exploring another bird pair:
Great Egret vs Great White Heron (and Snowy Egret)
I will be the first to admit that this one still takes me a few moments of deeply staring into my binoculars to be able to distinguish between these two. Both are large white birds, that seem almost identical with a quick glance but take a few moments and there are a few small details you can use to help you impress anyone nearby.
How to Tell Them Apart
- Leg Color: First and foremost, they have different leg colors. The great egret has solid black legs while the great heron tends to have a more yellow or orangish leg color appearance. A little trick that I like to use is- heron sounds like a hue meaning they have colored legs vs egret sounds more like gray so they have a darker leg coloration. I chose this comparison for the legs because for me, the legs are easiest to see even if I’m farther away and don’t have the ability to see them up close. Snowy egrets have black legs with bright yellow feet.
- Beak: Great white herons have larger beaks than great egrets. Great egrets have a beak that is described by some as “daggerlike”. Snowy egrets have a black bill.
- Overall Size: Great white herons are the largest of all herons and egrets! The great egret is the next largest and the snowy egret is smaller than that.
- Breeding Season: During breeding season the great heron develops head, chest and black plumage, meaning they have elongated or decorative feathers on their head. The great egret does not get any head plumes, separating it from the great heron, but can have long feathers on their back. Additionally, the skin near their eyes can take on a green hue. Snowy egrets are well-known for the head plumage but can also have plumes on their chest and back. The skin near their eyes can turn red during breeding season.
Hopefully this helps to clear any confusion you may have had regarding identifying these similar looking birds. Stay tuned for another article within this series and in case you missed the others, you can find them linked below.
Field Guide Face-Off Part 1: Anhinga vs Cormorant
Have some Florida animals that you get confused and want highlighted in this series? You can email me at bgerovac@ufl.edu.
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