Michigan · Summer breeder

Great Egrets in Michigan

When great egrets are present in Michigan, when they nest, which native Michigan plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4a–6b yard.

Herons and egrets (Ardeidae)Great EgretArdea alba

Status in Michigan: Summer breeder
Nesting window: March–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4a–6b

When to expect great egrets in Michigan

Great Egrets are summer residents in Michigan, arriving shortly before nesting begins in March and leaving after the young are independent.

Humid continental, strongly shaped by the Great Lakes; colder and snowier in the Upper Peninsula.

Nesting in Michigan

Across Michigan, great egrets typically nest from March–June. Plan around that window: February for setup, June for clean-out.

A compressed nesting season; bluebirds usually manage one or two broods.

Great Egrets don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as eastern hemlock, flowering dogwood, serviceberry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Michigan plants that attract great egrets

Of the regional native plants we track for Michigan, these 8 provide food or cover great egrets use:

Eastern hemlock

Tsuga canadensis · Tree

Seeds and dense winter shelter.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Feeding great egrets through the Michigan year

Top foods: None — visits ponds with fish.
In Michigan's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

Full diet breakdown for great egrets · Best feeder for great egrets

Frequently asked

Are great egrets in Michigan year-round?

No. Great Egrets are summer breeders in Michigan and leave for the winter.

When do great egrets nest in Michigan?

Nesting in Michigan typically runs March–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 1–6 eggs, incubated for 23–26 days.

What native plants attract great egrets in Michigan?

Eastern hemlock, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Michigan that provide food or cover for great egrets.

Other backyard birds in Michigan

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Scarlet Tanager Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Black-backed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Dickcissel Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Yellow-billed Cuckoo Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.