Why are great egrets endangered

The Bird Guide Adopt a Bird. Great Blue Heron Latin: Ardea herodias. Snowy Egret Latin: Egretta thula. Whooping Crane Latin: Grus americana. These birds need your help. Get Audubon in Your Inbox Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news.

Email address. Find Audubon Near You Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program. Explore the Network. Become an Audubon Member Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazine and the latest on birds and their habitats. Join Today. Spread the word.

Stay abreast of Audubon Our email newsletter shares the latest programs and initiatives. Populations were decimated by plume hunters in late s, recovered rapidly with protection early in 20th century. In recent decades, breeding range has been expanding gradually northward, while there is some evidence that southern populations have declined.

Marshes, ponds, shores, mud flats. Reasons for Being Endangered: At the turn of the 20th century, many bird species were shot for use, in whole or in part, on women's hats. Great egrets were hunted for their beautiful feathers.

By , some doubted the species could be saved from extinction. Plume trade, combined with the popular hobbies of egg and bird collecting, decimated populations of many bird species, leading to enactment of several federal laws to protect migratory, breeding and rare birds in the s, namely the Lacey Act of and Migratory Bird Treaty Act of In addition, the National Audubon Society, one of the country's oldest non-profit conservation organizations, was formed around this time and used the great egret on its logo to symbolize the organization's commitment to bird conservation.

Legal protection from plume hunting enabled the species to rebound. Pennsylvania's first documented nesting record was in By , birds had established three modest colonies here.

Today, the main threats faced by the great egret are habitat loss flooding of shallow feeding areas as a result of dams, for example , water pollution and disturbance of nesting colonies.

Boat traffic also can disturb egrets and boat wakes can wash out the shallow foraging areas. Management Programs: Great egrets are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of and as a state endangered species. Nesting colonies are protected through the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program and the Environmental Review process.

Colonies are monitored through the Game Commission's colonial waterbird program. Colonial nesting birds are vulnerable to disturbance and direct persecution.

All known nesting colonies should be closed to public intrusion and safeguarded from developmental pressures within a quarter-mile of the colony. Wetlands, streams, and rivers used for foraging should be protected and enhanced through watershed stewardship programs. Sources: Crossley, G. Mccrimmon, Jr. Ogden and G. Thomas Bancroft. Poole, Ed.

Animals Wild Cities This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city. Animals This frog mysteriously re-evolved a full set of teeth. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. Animals Wild Cities Morocco has 3 million stray dogs. Meet the people trying to help. Animals Whales eat three times more than previously thought.

Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big. Environment As the EU targets emissions cuts, this country has a coal problem. Paid Content How Hong Kong protects its sea sanctuaries. History Magazine These 3,year-old giants watched over the cemeteries of Sardinia. Magazine How one image captures 21 hours of a volcanic eruption.

Science Why it's so hard to treat pain in infants. Science The controversial sale of 'Big John,' the world's largest Triceratops. Both the male and female build the nest. Three or four greenish-blue eggs are laid and then incubated by both adults for days. The nestlings are semialtrical and are cared for by both parents.

The young will leave the nest for nearby branches at about weeks of age. Because they nest in colonies, they were an easy target for hunters. Currently, the greatest threat to the snowy egret is habitat loss and degradation together with disturbance of nesting colonies. Wetland destruction has caused a decrease in egret populations from their historic numbers. Since the s, habitat loss has occurred at an alarming rate in New Jersey, destroying wetlands critical to breeding egrets.

This species is listed as Special Concern during the breeding season. Like many species in New Jersey, protecting snowy egrets is closely tied with protecting their wetland habitats.