The little egret is a species of small heron in the family Ardeidae. It is a white bird with a slender black beak, long black legs and, in the western race, yellow feet. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on land, consuming a variety of small creatures. It breeds colonially, often with other species of water birds, making a platform nest of sticks in a tree, bush or reed bed. A clutch of three to five bluish-green eggs is laid and incubated by both parents for about three weeks. The young fledge at about six weeks of age.
Region
Europe, Africa and Asia
Typical Environment
Little egrets occupy a wide range of wetlands including estuaries, tidal flats, lagoons, saltpans, mangroves, marshes, rivers, lakes, rice paddies, and irrigation canals. They are most often seen wading in shallow water but also forage on damp grasslands and along shorelines. They adapt well to modified landscapes and will use urban ponds and aquaculture farms. Nesting occurs in trees, bushes, or reedbeds, often in mixed heronries.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Other
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The little egret is a small white heron noted for its black bill, black legs, and striking yellow feet, which it uses to stir prey in shallow water. In breeding season it grows delicate filamentous plumes on the head and back. It has expanded northward in recent decades, recolonizing parts of Europe and thriving in both natural and human-made wetlands.
In flight, Cyprus
Blue beak little egret, Taiwan 2018
Little egret at Varkala beach, Kerala, India
Egretta garzetta standing in a tree, Greece
Flying pattern of a little egret
Egret looking for fish, Sea of Galilee, Israel
Little egret, standing on one leg, Sea of Galilee, Israel
"The Little Egret" in Thomas Bewick's A History of British Birds, volume II, "Water Birds", 1804
E. g. immaculata in Northern Territory, Australia
Temperament
alert and active, often tolerant of conspecifics at feeding sites
Flight Pattern
steady, slow deep wingbeats with neck retracted; strong flier
Social Behavior
Breeds colonially, often with other herons and ibises, building stick platforms in trees, bushes, or reedbeds. Pairs share incubation and chick-rearing duties. Outside the breeding season, birds commonly feed in loose groups and roost communally.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Generally quiet, the voice consists of harsh croaks and rasping squawks, especially at colonies. Alarm and aggressive calls are rough and guttural.
