Those Lucky First-born Chicks

Great Egrets do not hatch all their eggs at the same time. The female lays eggs over several days, but she begins incubating them as soon as the first one is laid. Because of this, the first chick hatches a few days before the second, and the second hatches before the third.

This gives the oldest chick a massive head start. It is physically larger, stronger, and more coordinated than its younger siblings from day one.