Little egret

Egretta garzetta

The little egret is a white heron of shallow wetlands and coasts. Diurnal birds forage alone or in loose groups.

Key facts

Little egret (Egretta garzetta) is a carnivore animal classified as Bird · Pelecaniformes · Ardeidae.
Primary habitats are freshwater · coast, with a range across Palearctic · Afrotropical.
Activity is diurnal, sociality is loose group, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
The little egret is a white heron of shallow wetlands and coasts.
It uses mudflats, estuaries, marshes, rice fields, lake edges, and shallow rivers.
Typical lifespan: 8-25 years

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

It uses mudflats, estuaries, marshes, rice fields, lake edges, and shallow rivers. Shallow water with abundant small animals is ideal.

Wingspan is about 88-106 cm and weight about 350-550 g. White plumage, a black bill, black legs, yellow feet, and breeding plumes are distinctive.

Active by day, it walks through water searching for prey. It may stir with its feet, rush after fish, or wait motionless.

It is carnivorous, eating small fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and similar prey. Strikes are quick and made in shallow water.

It often breeds in colonies in trees or dense shrubs. Adults build stick nests and carry wetland prey back to the chicks.

Its status is listed as Least Concern. It can use rice fields and urban wetlands, but local numbers depend on wetland quality.