These birds were once hunted to near extinction at the turn of the century when their plumage became a sign of high fashion. This prompted the founding of the British Royal Society of the Protection of Birds and the U. S. Audubon Society. These groups worked to stop the killing of these birds for their feathers, and now Egrets are protected and making a comeback.

At Elkhorn Slough Reserve, Egrets nest at an area known as the "Rookery". They share the nesting site with Great Blue Herons and Double Crested Cormorants. Each season, the Great Blue Herons are the first to arrive, (late January to early February), picking out the choice nests and foraging twigs from other nearby nests. The Great Egrets start showing up in March, followed by Cormorants in April.

Both Egrets and Herons lay 2 to 5 light bluish eggs. Both mother and father take turns in caring for the eggs and chicks. When the chicks are 4 weeks old, the parents stop spending so much time at the nest, only returning to feed their young. You can often see the parents roosting in nearby trees to escape the constant nagging of their feathery teenagers. By 7 to 8 weeks, the young birds can fly but the parents still feed them for another 3 to 4 weeks.

Great Egrets can be found in southern United States, Mexico, and South America in the winter months, but due to our mild winters it is thought that many of our birds stay in the local area.