An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff,
and several of which develop fine plumes (usually milky white) during
the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or
Ardea which also contain other species named as herons rather than
egrets. The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague,
and depends more on appearance than biology. The word "egret" comes
from the French word "aigrette" that means both "silver heron" and
"brush," referring to the long filamentous feathers that seem to
cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season.


Several of the egrets have been reclassified from one genus to another
in recent years: the Great Egret, for example, has been classified as
a member of either Casmerodius, Egretta or Ardea.  In the 19th and
early part of the 20th century, some of the world's egret species were
endangered by relentless plume hunting, since hat makers in Europe and
the United States demanded large numbers of egret plumes, leading to
breeding birds being killed in many places around the world.  Several
Egretta species, including the Eastern Reef Egret, the Reddish Egret
and the Western Reef Egret have two distinct colours, one of which is
entirely white. Little Blue Heron has all-white juvenile plumage.
