Great Egret
Ardea alba
See this bird on the water. Private boat tours from Rijeka Crnojevića, your group only.
The great egret is the tall, all-white heron that stands motionless in the shallows for minutes at a time before striking. At close to a metre in height it is one of the largest birds on the lake and impossible to mistake for anything else.
Its records on Skadar peak notably in October, later than most of the lake's herons — autumn is the season to look for it, when passage birds add to the resident population.
In flight it is slow and deliberate, neck folded back into a deep S, legs trailing well past the tail.
When to see it on Lake Skadar
Most often recorded in October, from 349 sightings logged on the lake. October is the single strongest month.
- Jan: 16 records
- Feb: 15 records
- Mar: 27 records
- Apr: 42 records
- May: 31 records
- Jun: 10 records
- Jul: 23 records
- Aug: 41 records
- Sep: 42 records
- Oct: 73 records
- Nov: 18 records
- Dec: 11 records
Peak months Other months
Conservation status
Least Concern
Records on the lake
349
Peak season
Oct
Habitat
Shallow bays and flooded margins
Where on the lake
Quiet shallow bays and flooded margins away from the main channel. The autumn stretches of the Full Circuit, when the water is dropping and the mudflats are exposed, are the most reliable.
How to tell it apart
Yellow bill and black legs, and noticeably larger than the little egret.
