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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 (also called "egrets").
The yellow-billed egret (Ardea brachyrhyncha) is a species of heron, a medium sized heron. This species is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.Until 2023 the yellow-billed egret was regarded as a subspecies of the intermediate egret (A. (i.) intermedia) of Asia, as was the plumed egret (A. (i.) plumifera) of Australia and Oceania.
The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret [2] or great white heron, [3] [4] [5] is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Recently, it has also been spreading to more northern areas of Europe.
The eastern great egret (Ardea alba modesta) is a species of heron from the genus Ardea, usually considered a subspecies of the great egret (A. alba). In New Zealand it is known as the white heron or by its Māori name kōtuku. It was first described by British ornithologist John Edward Gray in 1831.
The little egret (Egretta garzetta) is a species of small heron in the family Ardeidae. It is a white bird with a slender black beak, long black legs and, in the western race, yellow feet. It is a white bird with a slender black beak, long black legs and, in the western race, yellow feet.
The medium egret, as its scientific name implies, is intermediate in size between the great egret and smaller white egrets like the little egret and cattle egret, though nearer to little than great. It is about 56–72 cm (22–28 in) long with a 105–115 cm (41–45 in) wingspan and weighs c. 400 g (14 oz), [ 5 ] with all-white plumage ...
The plumed egret is a medium-sized heron, 56 to 70 cm (22 to 28 in) in length with an all white plumage. In breeding plumage it develops long white frilly plumes from its breast and shoulders. In addition, the bill changes colour to red or orange with green lores and the tibia is red and the tarsus is black.
Some of these species have been placed with the great herons in Ardea, and conversely, the large white species such as the great egret are occasionally allocated to Egretta. The fact that some members of the genus have common names of "heron" and some of "egret" , causes further confusion in differentiating between this genus and Ardea.