A great white heron, also known as a white egret, scans the lilly pads for food or predators. In the days of the Seminole Wars, when egrets were hunted for food, their plumes, or feathers, were used by the Seminoles in traditional dress. Osceola often wore a white egret feather in his hair when conducting peace talks. A hundred years later, egrets were nearly hunted to extinction because the long white plumes were considered a valuable fashion accessory in America and Europe. Luckily, this practice was made illegal and the birds have made a healthy comeback.
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