- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Genus
- Ardea
Conservation status
Species of concern in Ohio (Ohio Division of Wildlife, June 2026)
Ohio's Division of Wildlife names it as one that might become threatened in Ohio under continued or increased stress, or one it has some concern for but too little information to judge. It is not listed as endangered or threatened.
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 2 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 88. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (0)
- Within its mapped range (25)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (48)
- Recorded, season not shown (13)
- Season shown (2)
Counties as a table
| County | Records | In mapped range |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Allen County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Ashland County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Ashtabula County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Athens County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Auglaize County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Belmont County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Brown County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Butler County | 44 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Carroll County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Champaign County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Clark County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Clermont County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Clinton County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Columbiana County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Coshocton County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Crawford County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Cuyahoga County | 43 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: summer, migration |
| Darke County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Defiance County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Delaware County | 37 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Erie County | 160 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: summer, migration |
| Fairfield County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Fayette County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Franklin County | 352 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Fulton County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Gallia County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Geauga County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: summer, migration |
| Greene County | 36 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Guernsey County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Hamilton County | 39 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Hancock County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Hardin County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Harrison County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Henry County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Highland County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Hocking County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Holmes County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Huron County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: summer, migration |
| Jackson County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Jefferson County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Knox County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Lake County | 75 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Lawrence County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Licking County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Logan County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Lorain County | 206 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: summer |
| Lucas County | 209 · Season shown | Yes: summer, migration |
| Madison County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Mahoning County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Marion County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Medina County | 28 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: summer, migration |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Mercer County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Miami County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Monroe County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Montgomery County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Morgan County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Morrow County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Muskingum County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Noble County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Ottawa County | 209 · Season shown | Yes: migration |
| Paulding County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Perry County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Pickaway County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Pike County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Portage County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: summer, migration |
| Preble County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Richland County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Ross County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Sandusky County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Scioto County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Seneca County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Shelby County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Stark County | 48 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Summit County | 51 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: summer, migration |
| Trumbull County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Tuscarawas County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Union County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Van Wert County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Warren County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Washington County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Wayne County | 23 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: summer, migration |
| Williams County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Wood County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Wyandot County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
Season
When it is recorded
In Ottawa County
Mid-April to early October, middle week May 17–23
Records per week from 209 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 149 dates. Latest record: October 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Great Egret | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 37 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 65 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| Mar 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 62 |
| Mar 22–28 | 3 | 2 | 79 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 2 | 2 | 79 |
| Apr 5–11 | 3 | 3 | 80 |
| Apr 12–18 | 3 | 2 | 189 |
| Apr 19–25 | 9 | 3 | 235 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 4 | 4 | 203 |
| May 3–9 | 19 | 6 | 557 |
| May 10–16 | 35 | 8 | 1,468 |
| May 17–23 | 28 | 10 | 1,043 |
| May 24–30 | 21 | 7 | 430 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 4 | 3 | 351 |
| Jun 7–13 | 0 | 0 | 223 |
| Jun 14–20 | 3 | 2 | 267 |
| Jun 21–27 | 6 | 5 | 463 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 6 | 5 | 405 |
| Jul 5–11 | 5 | 4 | 376 |
| Jul 12–18 | 7 | 5 | 448 |
| Jul 19–25 | 4 | 4 | 387 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 0 | 0 | 406 |
| Aug 2–8 | 1 | 1 | 430 |
| Aug 9–15 | 3 | 2 | 814 |
| Aug 16–22 | 2 | 1 | 447 |
| Aug 23–29 | 3 | 3 | 353 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 1 | 1 | 430 |
| Sep 6–12 | 7 | 3 | 406 |
| Sep 13–19 | 5 | 3 | 448 |
| Sep 20–26 | 9 | 4 | 366 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 4 | 3 | 274 |
| Oct 4–10 | 6 | 3 | 280 |
| Oct 11–17 | 1 | 1 | 169 |
| Oct 18–24 | 1 | 1 | 136 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 105 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 81 |
| Nov 8–14 | 3 | 2 | 136 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 53 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 51 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
In Ohio
Late March to early June, middle week early May, and again late June to late October, middle week late August
Recorded in two separate seasons, each shown with its own early, middle and late weeks.
Records per week from 2,775 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Great Egret | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 1 | 1 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 1 | 1 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 3 | 3 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 17 | 6 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 42 | 9 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 46 | 8 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 86 | 10 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 119 | 10 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 126 | 9 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 143 | 10 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 211 | 10 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 145 | 10 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 80 | 10 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 71 | 9 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 39 | 10 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 39 | 9 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 49 | 9 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 75 | 9 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 56 | 9 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 68 | 9 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 98 | 10 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 82 | 10 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 98 | 10 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 96 | 10 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 104 | 10 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 93 | 9 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 103 | 10 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 144 | 9 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 121 | 10 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 100 | 10 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 85 | 10 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 61 | 10 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 52 | 10 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 41 | 9 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 31 | 6 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 21 | 5 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 16 | 6 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 8 | 3 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 2 | 2 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 1 | 1 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 1 | 1 | 8,459 |
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Identification
How to identify it
Often confused with
- Great Blue Heron Ardea herodiasOften confused in Ohio: 12 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Snowy Egret Egretta thula2,793 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Western Cattle-Egret Ardea ibis1,568 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea244 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Months not reported
- Jan: recorded
- Feb: no record
- Mar: recorded
- Apr: recorded
- May: recorded
- Jun: recorded
- Jul: recorded
- Aug: recorded
- Sep: recorded
- Oct: recorded
- Nov: recorded
- Dec: recorded
Not reported in Ohio in February, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 37%49% |
| Open water | 23%3% |
| Wetland | 22%5% |
| Farmland | 10%11% |
| Forest | 6%31% |
| Grassland and shrub | 2%0.9% |
| Barren | 0.4%0.6% |
From 938 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Finer identifications
Some Ohio records of this species were identified to a subspecies:
- Ardea alba egrettaGreat Egret (American)subspecies
Every one of these records counts toward the Great Egret's season above.
Why some records go further than species
Many species vary from place to place. Groups of a species that look or sound a little different, and live in different areas, can be named as subspecies. Observers and experts only identify a record that far when it shows enough detail to tell them apart. Records without that detail count at the species level.
Names: Catalogue of Life.
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Ottawa County result
209 records from 2 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 208 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 1 recordiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.