A Great Egret catches a meal in a small pond off Webster Street in Lewiston Monday afternoon. At the beginning of the twentieth century, great egret populations came close to extinction. The species’ feather plumes were in great demand for use in women’s apparel. The degradation and loss of wetland habitats and the development of coastal areas have prevented populations from returning to their previous levels.

A Great Egret catches a meal in a small pond off Webster Street in Lewiston Monday afternoon. At the beginning of the twentieth century, great egret populations came close to extinction. The species’ feather plumes were in great demand for use in women’s apparel. The degradation and loss of wetland habitats and the development of coastal areas have prevented populations from returning to their previous levels.