Egrets (/ˈiːɡrəts/ EE-grəts) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea, which also contain other species named as herons rather than egrets. The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague, and depends more on appearance than biology. The word 'egret' comes from the French word aigrette that means both 'silver heron' and 'brush', referring to the long, filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season (also called 'egrets'). Egrets inhabit all continents; although they typically avoid the coldest regions, arid deserts, and very high mountains. They hunt and live in both saltwater and freshwater marshes. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)