by: BRUCE MUNRO
THE great white egret is a large-sized bird with a length of about 95cm.
Their distribution is worldwide and over most of South Africa, except the dry SW and vagrant to the Cape province.
Great white egrets favour shores of inland waters where they are solitary and shy but roost communally in trees. When foraging, they hold their neck forward at an angle and often feed in deep water. They stand still for long periods or stalk slowly.
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The bird’s food preference is mostly fish up to 45cm as well as frogs, insects and small mammals.
Their breeding season is from September to March. They lay two to five pale blue eggs in a platform nest made of sticks and twigs. Incubation is 24 to 27 days. The young start flying at 40 days but are dependent on their parents for 60 days.
The Zulu name is iLanda and in Afrikaans, grootwitreier.
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