Great Egret

Egretta alba

Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Presence in the Strait: Vagrant
Protection in Spain: Special protection (List)
In Spanish: Garceta grande

Photograph: Mike Baird, CC BY, vía iNaturalist

Length: 80–104 cm
Wingspan: 140–170 cm
Weight: 700 g

Presence in the Strait

Accidental species until early this century. Since late 2008 is increasing regularly but still very rare and localized (5-14 birds / year) during migration and wintering (July to May). Almost all observations (80%) in the area of Janda (Tarifa - Vejer de la Frontera), and the rest, in the marshes of Barbate followed by Palmones (Los Barrios - Algeciras)..

Identification

The size of a Grey Heron; white, very long neck, yellow legs and dark feet. Yellow bill in winter. Present in all Continents. More typically from ad.E Eastern Europe but with firm expansion to the West.

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.

Calendar in the Strait

22 %

Peak in January. Observations under CC0 or CC BY licences. The distribution also reflects observation effort.

Where it is seen

Open records from the atlas database, in cells of about 3.6 km. Opacity follows the square root of the count, and also reflects where people observe most.

See on the map

First open record: 15 January 1993
Latest record: 5 March 2025

The oldest and the most recent open observation in the extended area. A recent first observation does not mean the species is new: it means nobody had published it openly before.

Conservation

The catalogues, Andalusian and Spanish, are what binds; the Red Book assesses the Spanish population with IUCN criteria, and the global Red List is the context.

LCNTVUENCR

Andalusian Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Spanish Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Red Book of the Birds of Spain 2021: NT · Near threatened · breeding — LC · Least concern · wintering or migrating
Global Red List (IUCN): LC · Least concern

Annex I of the Birds Directive

Andalusian Catalogue: Junta de Andalucía, list of 24 April 2025. Spanish Catalogue: MITECO, table of 30 June 2025. Red Book: SEO/BirdLife, 2021 (Annex I). IUCN: via GBIF, 6 September 2026. Red Book and IUCN categories are assessments; catalogue categories are legal obligations.

Same genus in the Strait

Little Egret55–65 cm · Resident
Western Reef Heron55–68 cm · Vagrant

Species of the same genus that also occur here, ordered by how close they are in size. Being relatives does not mean they are confused in the field, but that is where the doubts start: compare size and season.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
GBIF taxon key: 9752617

Sources

Distribution and calendar: Bioestrecho's own database, ingested from GBIF and OBIS
Photograph: Mike Baird, CC BY, vía iNaturalist
Taxonomy: GBIF backbone, pending WoRMS for marine taxa
Editorial text: written by Bioestrecho
Last revised: 8 September 2026

Great Egret

Presence in the Strait

Identification

Gallery