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Great Egret Preening I sketched this majestic bird from a photo by Marvin Philip Kahl, from Sedona, AZ. Dr. Kahl is a noted ornithologist, photographer, author, and leading authority on storks, spoonbills, and flamingos. Then I painted white acrylic on acid-free dark brown matboard, sculpting thick and thin to create greater texture and thereby heightening the sense of a 3-dimensional bird. Finally, I painted over the acrylic with transparent watercolor to add color and shadow. Nearly a year after the original painting sold, I was commissioned to do another. Great Egret Preening II was done on a dark grey matboard, otherwise it is almost identical to Great Egret Preening I. The Great Egret, Ardea alba, used to be called the American egret but that was hardly appropriate. This large all-white wading bird is found across much of the world, from southern Canada southward to Argentina, and in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Apart from size, the Great Egret can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet. Plume hunters in the late 1800s to early 1900s reduced North American populations by more than 95 percent. These beautiful birds recovered under protection of no-take laws. No longer hunted, the species now is threatened throughout its range by loss of wetland habitat. Adding to the problem, not many hatchlings survive to adulthood. Aggression among nestlings is common; large chicks frequently kill smaller siblings. On the bright side, these egrets are long-lived; the record for a wild great egret is nearly 23 years. Both of the original watercolors are in private collections but limited edition prints and note cards are available. Click here for availability and price.