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Great Egret Casmerodius albus
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 57,200,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 57,200,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | 590000-2200000 | poor | Estimated | 2009 |
| Population trend | Unknown | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 9.1 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: Estimate includes totals for 'Ardea modesta'. | ||||
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is uncertain, as some populations are decreasing, while others are increasing, stable fluctuating or have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). This species has undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (177% increase over 40 years, equating to a 29% increase per decade; data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007) Note, however, that these surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America. | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Albania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Algeria | Native | No | |||
| Angola | Native | No | |||
| Anguilla (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Argentina | Native | No | |||
| Armenia | Native | No | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Australia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Austria | Native | No | |||
| Azerbaijan | Native | No | |||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Bahrain | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bangladesh | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belarus | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Belgium | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belize | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Benin | Native | No | |||
| Bhutan | Native | No | |||
| Bolivia | Native | No | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Native | No | |||
| Botswana | Native | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Vagrant | No | |||
| Brunei | Native | No | |||
| Bulgaria | Native | No | |||
| Burkina Faso | Native | No | |||
| Burundi | Native | No | |||
| Cambodia | Native | No | |||
| Cameroon | Native | No | |||
| Canada | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Native | No | |||
| Central African Republic | Native | No | |||
| Chad | Native | No | |||
| Chile | Native | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | |||
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | Native | No | |||
| Colombia | Native | No | |||
| Comoros | Native | No | |||
| Congo | Native | No | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | Native | No | |||
| Costa Rica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Croatia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cuba | Native | No | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Cyprus | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Czech Republic | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Denmark | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Djibouti | Vagrant | No | |||
| Dominica | Native | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Native | No | |||
| Ecuador | Native | No | |||
| Egypt | Native | No | |||
| El Salvador | Native | No | |||
| Equatorial Guinea | Vagrant | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Ethiopia | Native | No | |||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Native | No | |||
| Fiji | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Finland | Vagrant | No | |||
| France | Native | No | Yes | ||
| French Guiana | Native | No | |||
| Gabon | Native | No | |||
| Gambia | Native | No | |||
| Georgia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Germany | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Ghana | Native | No | |||
| Greece | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Grenada | Native | No | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Guam (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guyana | Native | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Hong Kong (China) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Hungary | Native | No | Yes | ||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Indonesia | Native | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Iraq | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Ireland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Israel | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Italy | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jamaica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Japan | Native | No | |||
| Jordan | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Kazakhstan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kuwait | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Laos | Native | No | |||
| Latvia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Lebanon | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Lesotho | Native | No | |||
| Liberia | Native | No | |||
| Libya | Native | No | |||
| Liechtenstein | Vagrant | No | |||
| Luxembourg | Vagrant | No | |||
| Macao (China) | Native | No | |||
| Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of | Native | No | |||
| Madagascar | Native | No | |||
| Malawi | Native | No | |||
| Malaysia | Native | No | |||
| Maldives | Native | No | |||
| Mali | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Malta | Vagrant | No | |||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Moldova | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mongolia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montenegro | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Morocco | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Namibia | Native | No | |||
| Nepal | Native | No | |||
| Netherlands | Native | No | |||
| New Caledonia (to France) | Vagrant | No | |||
| New Zealand | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Nicaragua | Native | No | |||
| Niger | Native | No | |||
| Nigeria | Native | No | |||
| North Korea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Norway | Vagrant | No | |||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Pakistan | Native | No | |||
| Palau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Palestinian Authority Territories | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Panama | Native | No | |||
| Papua New Guinea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Paraguay | Native | No | |||
| Peru | Native | No | |||
| Philippines | Native | No | |||
| Poland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Portugal | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Qatar | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Romania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Central Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (European) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Rwanda | Native | No | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | Vagrant | No | |||
| Senegal | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Serbia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Seychelles | Vagrant | No | |||
| Sierra Leone | Native | No | |||
| Singapore | Native | No | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Slovakia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Slovenia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Solomon Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | Yes | ||
| South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands | Native | No | |||
| South Korea | Native | No | |||
| South Sudan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Spain | Native | No | |||
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| St Helena (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Martin (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | |||
| Suriname | Native | No | |||
| Swaziland | Native | No | |||
| Sweden | Vagrant | No | |||
| Switzerland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Syria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Taiwan (China) | Native | No | |||
| Tajikistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tanzania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Thailand | Native | No | |||
| Timor-Leste | Native | No | |||
| Togo | Native | No | |||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Tunisia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Turkey | Native | No | |||
| Turkmenistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Uganda | Native | No | |||
| Ukraine | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom | Vagrant | No | |||
| Uruguay | Native | No | Yes | ||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uzbekistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Venezuela | Native | No | |||
| Vietnam | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Zambia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Zimbabwe | Native | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Hamun-i-Puzak |  |
| Albania | Karavasta Lagoon | |
| Argentina | Reserva de Uso Múltiple Bañados del Río Dulce y Laguna Mar Chiquita | |
| Austria | Neusiedler See | |
| Austria | Southern Seewinkel and Zitzmannsdorfer Wiesen | |
| Botswana | Okavango Delta | |
| Bulgaria | Adata-Tundzha | |
| Bulgaria | Gorni Dabnik-Telish Reservoir | |
| Bulgaria | Mandra-Poda complex | |
| Bulgaria | Obnova Fish-ponds | |
| Bulgaria | Ovtcharitsa Reservoir | |
| Bulgaria | Plovdiv Fish-ponds | |
| Bulgaria | Srebarna | |
| Bulgaria | Zhrebchevo Reservoir | |
| Bulgaria | Zvanichevo Fish-ponds | |
| Cambodia | Prek Toal | |
| Cameroon | Logone flood-plain | |
| China (mainland) | Aksu River basin | |
| China (mainland) | Bayanbulak and Kaidu River Valley | |
| China (mainland) | Bosten Lake | |
| China (mainland) | Desert and wetland from Northern Urumqi to Dabancheng | |
| China (mainland) | Heyang Huang He Wetlands Nature Reserve | |
| China (mainland) | Oasis, Desert and Wetland at Mosuowan | |
| China (mainland) | Tarim Euphrates Poplar Forest Nature Reserve | |
| China (mainland) | Ulungur Hu and Jili Hu (Fu Hai) | |
| Croatia | Donji Miholjac fish-ponds | |
| Croatia | Nasicka Breznica fish-ponds | |
| Czech Republic | Trebonsko (Trebon region) | |
| Egypt | Lake Manzala | |
| Egypt | Lake Maryut | |
| Gambia | Bao Bolon Wetland Reserve | |
| Gambia | Dankunku wetlands | |
| Gambia | Islands of the Central River Division | |
| Ghana | Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site | |
| Greece | Amvrakikos gulf | |
| Greece | Divari Pilou lagoon (Gialova) | |
| Greece | Kalamas estuary | |
| Greece | Kotychi lagoon | |
| Greece | Lagoons of Kerkyra | |
| Greece | Lake Kerkini | |
| Greece | Lake Mitrikou (Ismarida) | |
| Greece | Lakes Volvi-Langada (or Koronia-Ag. Vasiliou) and Rentina Gorge (or Makedonika Tempi) | |
| Greece | Nestou delta and coastal lagoons | |
| Greece | Porto Lagos, Lake Vistonis, and coastal lagoons (Lakes of Thrace) | |
| Greece | Reservoirs of former Lake Karla | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Arquipélago dos Bijagós | |
| Hong Kong (China) | Inner Deep Bay and Shenzhen River catchment area | |
| Hungary | Bodrogzug–Taktaköz | |
| Hungary | Hortobágy and Tisza-to | |
| Hungary | Kolon Lake | |
| Hungary | Lake Kis-Balaton | |
| Hungary | Lower Tisza Valley | |
| Indonesia | Rawa Tulang Bawang | |
| Indonesia | Tanjung Puting | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Arjan Protected Area | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Bandar Kiashar lagoon and mouth of Sefid Rud | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Dez dam | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Gomishan marshes and Turkoman steppes | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Hamoun-i Sabari and Hamoun-i Hirmand | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Hilleh Protected Area | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Izeh and Sheikho lakes | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Khouran Straits | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Lake Alagol, Lake Ulmagol and Lake Ajigol | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Lake Bakhtegan, Lake Tashk and Kamjan marshes | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Rud-i-Shur, Rud-i-Shirin and Rud-i-Minab deltas | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | South end of the Hamoun-i Puzak | |
| Israel | Carmel coast | |
| Israel | Hefer valley | |
| Israel | Jezre'el, Harod and Bet She'an valleys | |
| Israel | Lake Kinneret and Kinerot | |
| Israel | Zevulun valley | |
| Kazakhstan | Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve | |
| Kazakhstan | Lesser Aral Sea | |
| Kazakhstan | Uyalyshalkar Lake System | |
| Kenya | Tana River Delta | |
| Lithuania | Wetland complex of the Baltoji Voke fish-farm with neighbouring turbary and lake Papis | |
| Madagascar | Bemamba Wetland Complex | |
| Madagascar | Bombetoka Bay and Marovoay wetlands | |
| Madagascar | Daraina (Loky-Manambato) SAPM | |
| Mali | Kouakourou | |
| Mali | Koumbé Niasso | |
| Mali | Lac Débo - Lac Oualado Débo | |
| Mali | Lac Faguibine | |
| Mali | Lac Horo | |
| Mali | Séri | |
| Mali | Timisobo - Képagou | |
| Mauritania | Diawling National Park | |
| Mongolia | Khar Us Lake | |
| Montenegro | Lake Skadar | |
| Oman | Barr al Hikman | |
| Pakistan | Indus Dolphin Reserve and Kandhkot wetlands | |
| Philippines | Buguey wetlands | |
| Philippines | Candaba swamp | |
| Philippines | Manila Bay | |
| Philippines | Olango Island | |
| Philippines | Ragay Gulf | |
| Poland | Barycz river valley | |
| Poland | Biebrza river valley | |
| Poland | Jeziorsko reservoir | |
| Poland | Warta River Mouth | |
| Romania | Balta Albă - Amara - Jirlău | |
| Romania | Balta Mică a Brăilei | |
| Romania | Balta Vederoasa | |
| Romania | Blahniţa | |
| Romania | Calafat - Ciuperceni - Dunăre | |
| Romania | Cârja - Maţa - Rădeanu - Roşcani | |
| Romania | Cefa fish-ponds and Radvani wood | |
| Romania | Danube Delta | |
| Romania | Ilfov reservoir | |
| Romania | Jijiei şi Miletinului fish-ponds | |
| Romania | Lunca Siretului Inferior | |
| Romania | Suhaia | |
| Russia (European) | Achikol'skiye lakes | |
| Russia (European) | Berkubinski forest | |
| Russia (European) | Burukshunskiye limans | |
| Russia (European) | Cherebaevskaya floodplain | |
| Russia (European) | Delta of the River Don | |
| Russia (European) | Flood-plain of Iput' river in vicinity of Krutoayr | |
| Russia (European) | Kazachka | |
| Russia (European) | Khanskoye Lake | |
| Russia (European) | Kiziltash limans | |
| Russia (European) | Large liman | |
| Russia (European) | Lower Eruslan | |
| Russia (European) | Oling area | |
| Russia (European) | Veselovskoye reservoir | |
| Russia (European) | Volga Delta | |
| Senegal | Delta du Saloum | |
| Senegal | Djoudj wetlands | |
| Serbia | Becej fish-pond | |
| Serbia | Carska bara | |
| Serbia | Uzdin fish-pond | |
| Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone River Estuary | |
| Sierra Leone | Yawri Bay | |
| Slovakia | Senné | |
| Slovenia | River Drava | |
| Slovenia | River Mura | |
| Slovenia | Črete | |
| Somalia | Xawaadley reservoir | |
| South Africa | Nyl river flood-plain | |
| South Sudan | Sudd (Bahr-el-Jebel system) | |
| Tanzania | Moyowosi - Kigosi Game Reserves | |
| Tanzania | Ugalla River Game Reserve | |
| Tanzania | Wembere steppe | |
| Thailand | Sanambin Non Hunting Area | |
| Tunisia | Boughrara | |
| Tunisia | Salines de Monastir | |
| Turkmenistan | Gorelde | |
| Ukraine | Berdyans'ka peninsula | |
| Ukraine | Dnipro delta | |
| Ukraine | Dnister delta | |
| Ukraine | Karachunivs'ke reservoir | |
| Ukraine | Karkinits'ka and Dzharylgats'ka bays | |
| Ukraine | Konka river mouth | |
| Ukraine | Kyivs'ke reservoir | |
| Ukraine | Molochnyj Liman | |
| Ukraine | Mzha river valley | |
| Ukraine | Obytichna peninsula | |
| Ukraine | Oril' river valley | |
| Ukraine | Samars'kyj forest | |
| Ukraine | Stentsivs'ko-Zhebriyanivs'ki plavni | |
| Ukraine | Syvash Bay | |
| Ukraine | Tsybul'kivs'ki lakes | |
| Ukraine | Tyligul's'kyj lyman | |
| Uzbekistan | Ayakaghytma lake and surrounding desert | |
| Uzbekistan | Dalverzin State Forestry and Hunting Management Area | |
| Uzbekistan | Northern shore of Aydarkul Lake | |
| Uzbekistan | Sudochye Lake | |
| Uzbekistan | Tudakul and Kuymazar Reservoirs | |
| Vietnam | Binh Dai | |
| Vietnam | U Minh Thuong | |
| Zambia | Bangweulu Swamps | |
| Zambia | Kafue Flats | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Salt Exploitation Sites | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | major | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 1500 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| |||||||||
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Wearing apparel, accessories | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Historical |
| Wearing apparel, accessories | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Historical |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Casmerodius albus. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Ardeidae (Herons and egrets) |
| Species name author | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Population size | 590000-2200000 mature individuals |
| Population trend | Unknown |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 57,200,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
|
- Summary information on this species - Climate change species distributions | |
|
|