Egrets are beautiful, especially in their breeding plumage, when they sport long curved plumes and dramatically colored faces.

Great Egret displaying breeding plumes and a green face.

Snowy Egret with similar plumes and a red face.

Those breeding plumes are so beautiful that demand for them—for decorating women’s hats—almost drove egrets to extinction, and concern for the heavily persecuted egrets is what gave rise to the bird conservation movement in the early 20th century.

Egrets earn those luscious plumes. Before they get to be adults in breeding plumage, egrets must survive a cutthroat childhood in considerably less impressive dress.

Yikes, THAT’S what our chicks look like??

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