The scientific genus name for most egret species in the heron family (Ardeidae).
Latinized form of 'egret,' used in binomial scientific nomenclature following Linnaean classification standards established in the 1700s.
When Carl Linnaeus organized life scientifically, he gave Latin names to everything—Egretta is the 'official' scientific name that biologists worldwide use, so an Egretta alba is the same bird whether you're in Brazil or Japan.
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