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Nearby · Summit Co.
BirdsIn Summit County, Ohio

Great Egret

Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758

Great Egret in all of Ohio
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
(c) daverowe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
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.

Near Summit County

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)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Range: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Species Range Maps CONUS_2001 (2018). Show as a table
Counties as a table
Great Egret by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecordsIn mapped range
Adams CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Allen CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Athens CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Belmont CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Brown CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Butler County44 · Recorded, season not shownYes: migration
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Clermont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Crawford CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Cuyahoga County43 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer, migration
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Defiance CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Delaware County37 · Recorded, season not shownYes: migration
Erie County160 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer, migration
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Fayette CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Franklin County352 · Recorded, season not shownYes: migration
Fulton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Gallia CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Geauga CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer, migration
Greene County36 · Recorded, season not shownYes: migration
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Hamilton County39 · Recorded, season not shownYes: migration
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Henry CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Highland CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Hocking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Holmes CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Huron CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer, migration
Jackson CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Lake County75 · Recorded, season not shownYes: migration
Lawrence CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Lorain County206 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer
Lucas County209 · Season shownYes: summer, migration
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Medina County28 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer, migration
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Mercer CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Miami CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Montgomery CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Morgan CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Ottawa County209 · Season shownYes: migration
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Pike CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Portage CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: summer, migration
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Scioto CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Seneca CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Shelby CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Stark County48 · Recorded, season not shownYes: migration
Summit County51 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer, migration
Trumbull CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Vinton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Washington CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: migration
Wayne County23 · Recorded, season not shownYes: summer, migration
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Wood CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration
Wyandot CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: migration

Season

When it is recorded

In Summit County

Early April to early June, middle week early May

Recorded in two separate seasons, each shown with its own early, middle and late weeks. A later season is not shown: the weeks are still too uncertain.

Show over the bars
Recording in Summit County · records of all species each week, 106,876 in all

Records per week from 51 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
Records of Great Egret in Summit County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Great EgretYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1000711
Jan 11–1700665
Jan 18–2400601
Jan 25–3100526
Feb 1–700608
Feb 8–1400619
Feb 15–2100629
Feb 22–2800748
Mar 1–700728
Mar 8–1400852
Mar 15–21001,055
Mar 22–28001,007
Mar 29 – Apr 4111,005
Apr 5–11331,654
Apr 12–18322,454
Apr 19–25112,699
Apr 26 – May 2333,970
May 3–9003,569
May 10–16554,053
May 17–23423,509
May 24–30324,045
May 31 – Jun 6112,874
Jun 7–13223,158
Jun 14–20113,796
Jun 21–27003,501
Jun 28 – Jul 4003,968
Jul 5–11113,632
Jul 12–18004,051
Jul 19–25113,855
Jul 26 – Aug 1002,908
Aug 2–8113,828
Aug 9–15743,583
Aug 16–22223,535
Aug 23–29112,939
Aug 30 – Sep 5532,840
Sep 6–12222,758
Sep 13–19112,761
Sep 20–26112,646
Sep 27 – Oct 3112,089
Oct 4–10002,317
Oct 11–17001,944
Oct 18–24111,314
Oct 25–31001,272
Nov 1–700786
Nov 8–1400761
Nov 15–2100654
Nov 22–2800703
Nov 29 – Dec 500503
Dec 6–1200447
Dec 13–1900496
Dec 20–2600522
Dec 27 – Jan 200728

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.

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

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
Records of Great Egret in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Great EgretYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10116,211
Jan 11–17005,146
Jan 18–24004,645
Jan 25–31114,698
Feb 1–7006,023
Feb 8–14005,888
Feb 15–21005,436
Feb 22–28006,846
Mar 1–7008,321
Mar 8–140010,384
Mar 15–213312,620
Mar 22–2817613,949
Mar 29 – Apr 442919,661
Apr 5–1146826,860
Apr 12–18861039,925
Apr 19–251191041,623
Apr 26 – May 2126956,391
May 3–91431052,952
May 10–162111053,785
May 17–231451057,698
May 24–30801054,651
May 31 – Jun 671953,099
Jun 7–13391053,700
Jun 14–2039956,625
Jun 21–2749955,361
Jun 28 – Jul 475958,477
Jul 5–1156961,336
Jul 12–1868964,722
Jul 19–25981069,753
Jul 26 – Aug 1821059,416
Aug 2–8981059,712
Aug 9–15961055,994
Aug 16–221041054,328
Aug 23–2993951,772
Aug 30 – Sep 51031057,167
Sep 6–12144959,075
Sep 13–191211054,543
Sep 20–261001045,860
Sep 27 – Oct 3851043,180
Oct 4–10611037,841
Oct 11–17521030,824
Oct 18–2441921,156
Oct 25–3131619,021
Nov 1–721514,172
Nov 8–1416612,621
Nov 15–21837,965
Nov 22–28228,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5006,083
Dec 6–12116,004
Dec 13–19005,423
Dec 20–26005,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2118,459

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.

Relatives

In the same genus

Other Ardea recorded in Summit County

Great Blue HeronArdea herodias

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

  1. Jan: recorded
  2. Feb: no record
  3. Mar: recorded
  4. Apr: recorded
  5. May: recorded
  6. Jun: recorded
  7. Jul: recorded
  8. Aug: recorded
  9. Sep: recorded
  10. Oct: recorded
  11. Nov: recorded
  12. Dec: recorded

Not reported in Ohio in February, 2016 to 2025.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed37%49%
Open water23%3%
Wetland22%5%
Farmland10%11%
Forest6%31%
Grassland and shrub2%0.9%
Barren0.4%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 Ohio result

2,775 records from 2 datasets.

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.