Great Egret (also known as Common Egret, Large Egret, or White Heron)

The Great Egret is a large, stately white wader with a yellow bill and black legs. This feather is an 'aigrette,' a magnificent plume used in courtship displays. During the late 19th century, these feathers were so prized for women's hats that the species was hunted nearly to extinction, sparking the modern conservation movement.

Pure snowy white. There is no pigmentation or banding. Under certain light, it may show a subtle satiny sheen but generally appears matte and translucent.

Plumulaceous and open; the barbs are long, thin, and lack the interlocking barbules (hooklets) that create a solid vane. This gives the feather its lace-like, airy appearance.

The rachis is very thin, flexible, and white. Barbs are sparsely distributed along the rachis and extend at acute angles, becoming extremely fine toward the tips.

Extremely soft, silky, and lightweight. It has no rigidity and moves easily with the slightest breeze. The surface is matte and non-waterproof.

Scapular region (back/shoulder). These plumes grow from the back and extend past the tail during the breeding display.

Pure white color, filamentous structure without a solid vane, extreme length-to-width ratio, and exceptionally fine, hair-like barbs.

Freshwater and saltwater wetlands, including marshes, ponds, mudflats, and shorelines. They nest in colonial groups (rookeries) in trees or shrubs near water.

Common across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world. In North America, they breed as far north as southern Canada and migrate to the southern US and Central America for winter.

Apex predator in wetland food webs, consuming fish, frogs, and aquatic insects. They serve as excellent indicators of wetland health and water quality.

Snowy Egret (plumes are usually shorter and more recurved/curly), Snowy Owl (feathers are pennaceous and sturdier), or white domestic goose (feathers have solid vanes).

The Great Egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society. Their recovery from the brink of extinction due to the 'plume trade' is one of the greatest success stories in avian conservation.

Historically used in the millinery (hat) trade, leading to the 'Plume Wars.' Today, they have high cultural significance in conservation history and are protected globally.

Look for these in late summer or early fall near wetland edges or under known heron rookeries after the breeding season has concluded.

Fair to Good. The feather shows signs of being discarded naturally (molted), with some tangling of the barbs and debris from the grass where it was found.