During the late nineteenth century, Great Egrets were nearly exterminated by hunters who shot adult birds, often at their nest sites, to collect the ornate plumes that adorn their heads and backs during breeding season. Parentless young were left to die in the nests while the showy feathers of the adults were sold to clothiers as decorations for expensive hats. In Pennsylvania, the Great Egret nests at just a few locations and is listed as an endangered species.
