| Eastern great egret | |
|---|---|
| |
| Breeding plumage in New Zealand | |
| |
| Non-breeding plumage in Tasmania | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Ardeidae |
| Genus: | Ardea |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | A. a. modesta
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Ardea alba modesta J.E. Gray, 1831
| |
| |
| Yellow: breeding, green: year-round, blue: non-breeding | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Ardea modesta | |
The eastern great egret (Ardea alba modesta) is a species of heron from the genus Ardea, usually considered a subspecies of the great egret (A. alba). In New Zealand it is known as the white heron or by its Māori name kōtuku. It was first described by British ornithologist John Edward Gray in 1831.