Year round, the great egret is found in the Coastal Plains region as well as the inland valleys of the Pacific Coast Region in the states of Oregon and California. Too, some stay year round along the lower Columbia river valley in the states of Neveda, Arizona and California.

During summer the range of the great egret expands northeast from the Coastal Plains into the lower Appalachian Mountains region of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi as well as further up the east coast to Maine. Also, it expands northwest into the Interior highlands of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, then into the Interior Lowlands of Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, and Ohio.

During summer the western side of the range expands inland to the Basin and Range region in the states of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado Idaho, Wyoming, Idaho, eastern Montana, northwest North Dakota and into a little of Canada.

Numerous and widespread in wetlands and have become rare nester in the western interior due to massive plume hunters, but slowly recovering

Large white bird with black legs and yellow bill. Long lacy plumes on back and breast during breading, and in high breeding, green lores.