Worth Twice Its Weight In Gold

Looking at its beautiful long plumes, it is no wonder that the great egret’s feathers were once worth twice their weight in gold.

Today, however, it is illegal to hunt great egrets, and their colony on Stratton Island is protected.

Even the Project Puffin bird biologists do not go into the wading bird colony during most of the breeding season, lest they scare the young chicks out of their high nests built in the tops of old apple trees. If the chicks fall out of their nests they could be injured, and often are unable to return to safety.

Photo Courtesy of Janine Parziale