Yes, they are the same size. Great Egrets don't usually come up to the Ottawa area. This summer, three appeared in late August. They seem to spend their time between Andrew Hayden Park and the Bruce Pit pond. My first sighting was on Aug. 25, when one Egret showed up at Bruce Pit. For each of the next several days, three Egrets appeared and could be found feeding across the pond. Two usually stuck together and one was often some distance away. One of the Egrets was banded. It appears that it originated from the Georgian bay area.