Egretta fossil map
Where fossils of Egretta have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 12.5 million years ago to the present (Serravallian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Named by | Forster 1817 |
| Fossil records | 33 occurrences at 27 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Northern Mariana Islands, French Polynesia, Peru, Cook Islands, American Samoa, Mauritius, Bahamas, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands … |
| Rock formations | txn:39541, Rexroad, Tamiami, Bone Valley, Alachua, Bermont |
About Egretta
Egretta is a genus of medium-sized herons, mostly breeding in warmer climates.
Representatives of this genus are found in most of the world, and the little egret, as well as being widespread throughout much of the Old World, has now started to colonise the Americas.
These are typical egrets in shape, long-necked and long-legged. A few plumage features are shared, although several have plumes in breeding plumage; a number of species are either white in all plumages, have a white morph (e.g. reddish egret), or have a white juvenile plumage (little blue heron).
The breeding habitat of Egretta herons is marshy wetlands in warm regions. They nest in colonies, often with other wading birds, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs.
These herons feed on insects, fish, and amphibians, caught normally by cautious stalking.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Egretta (revision 1379737702), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q312272.
