Baby Birdorable: Great Egret

If you think our Birdorable birds are cute as adults, what about when they are babies? Below are some baby photos (shared via Flickr Creative Commons) of the Great Egret. Great Egrets nest in a large colony group, which is known as a rookery or a heronry. In North America, the average clutch size (number of eggs laid) is about three. Incubation takes 23-27 days. Young chicks have a sort of prehistoric look to them, but they get progressively cuter as they age:

Great Egret (Ardea alba) nest with three chicks at the in the Morro Bay Heron Rookery 21 May 2009
Great Egret (Ardea alba) nest with three chicks at the in the Morro Bay Heron Rookery 21 May 2009 by mikebaird
Great Egret Chick
Great Egret Chick by Andrea Westmoreland
(4 of 9) Great Egret Chicks in Nest w/ Parent
(4 of 9) Great Egret Chicks in Nest w/ Parent by mikebaird
great egret chick pair woody
great egret chick pair woody by JKD Atlanta
2 of 3 Great Egret Nest with Adult and Two Chicks, Heron Rookery, Morro Bay, CA 27 May 2010
2 of 3 Great Egret Nest with Adult and Two Chicks, Heron Rookery, Morro Bay, CA 27 May 2010 by mikebaird
5 of 6 Great Egret (Ardea alba) nest with three chicks at the Morro Bay Heron Rookery
5 of 6 Great Egret (Ardea alba) nest with three chicks at the Morro Bay Heron Rookery by mikebaird
2 of 6 Great Egret (Ardea alba) nest with three chicks at the Morro Bay Heron Rookery
2 of 6 Great Egret (Ardea alba) nest with three chicks at the Morro Bay Heron Rookery by mikebaird
great egret chicks woody nest
great egret chicks woody nest by JKD Atlanta

Pretty cute, right? Be sure to check out our Birdorable Great Egret t-shirts and gifts!

Comments

Spurwing Plover on May 21, 2018 at 6:58 AM wrote:
A man E.A. McIlliney(Tabasco Suace)breed these birds in large outdoor cages and released them into the wild thus saving their speicies
Richard briault on May 14, 2020 at 6:49 PM wrote:
Yesterday I was in henley on Thames and saw a group of people looking at a baby chick by the river it was bright green what kind of bird will it turn in to.
CHETRANEKA SHRI on January 23, 2026 at 12:33 AM wrote:
i have seen Great Egrets in natiol Delhi ZOO
Chetraneka Shri Peacock on May 8, 2026 at 4:54 AM wrote:
Richard briault I THINK THAT THE BIRD YOU FOUND IS THE a species of parrot, parakeet, or lovebird, which will grow into a vibrant green adult.

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