little egret

Slim and graceful. Has black bill, black legs with yellow feet, and greyish or yellowish lores. In breeding plumage has two elongated nape plumes, and mantle plumes, and lores and feet become reddish during courtship. Bill in non-breeding and immature can be paler and pinkish or greyish at base, or dull yellowish on some legs canbe yellowish or greenish.

The little egret's habitat varies widely, and includes the shores of lakes, rivers, canals, ponds, lagoons, marshes and flooded land, the bird preferring open locations to dense cover. On the coast it inhabits mangrove areas, swamps, mudflats, sandy beaches and reefs. Rice fields are an important habitat in Italy, and coastal and mangrove areas are important in Africa. The bird often moves about among cattle or other hoofed mammals.

Little Egret feeds mainly on aquatic insects, crustaceans, fish, amphibians, molluscs, reptiles, worms, spiders, and small birds. Preys are usually swollen whole according to their size. Indigestible parts are regurgitated as pellets including the hard parts such as claws, keratin, bones, feathers�

Little Egret is rather silent away from colonies, but we can hear a hoarse kgarrk or a long aaahk when it takes off or during disputes on feeding areas.

The adult Little Egret is 55-65 cm long with an 88-106 cm wingspan. It weighs 350-550 grams. Its plumage is all white. It has long black legs with yellow feet and a slim black bill. In the breeding season the adult has two long nape plumes and gauzy plumes on the back and breast. The bare skin between the bill and eyes becomes red or blue. Juveniles are similar to non-breeding adults but have duller legs and feet. Little Egrets are mostly silent but make various croaking and bubbling calls at their breeding colonies and produce a harsh alarm call when disturbed.