^Click on photo for larger image^ GREAT EGRET Casmerodius albus

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The great egret is a slender, graceful heron that forages in marshlands. During the breeding season it displays a spectacular cloak of delicate feathery plumes. It is the most widespread of all the herons in Belize.

The great egret feeds in all the shallow waters of Belize. This large bird coils its sinewy neck, ready to spear prey. Prey includes fish, aquatic invertebrates and reptiles. During the drier months, the bird will stalk small mammals, snails and nesting birds. During the early nineteenth century, the demand for the breeding plumage for woman's hats was widespread. Heavy hunting nearly drove the species to extinction before public demand resulted in laws to protect the bird. Today, pollution and habitat loss has caused their numbers to decline worldwide.

KEY FACTS SIZE 36 inches RANGE: Global, spanning 5 continents HABITAT: Savannas, coastal lagoons and marshes FOOD: Fish, aquatic invertebrates and reptiles