Breeding Season transforms the Great Egret into this. Utterly sensational. You can see why so many egrets lost their lives when ladies used this plumage for their hats! It is simply gorgeous. Note also the green color at end of bill, that is yellow when not breeding.

Large photo measures 16 x 20" - enjoy!

The long, graceful plumes on Great Egrets are called aigrettes. They grow from the shoulder area to trail over the back. Each aigrette is composed of about 35 strands of slim feathers. Both the males and females do this. How can a mate resist???