Little Egret

Description:

The adult little egret is 55–65 cm long with an 88–106 cm wingspan, and weighs 350–550 grams. Its plumage is all white. The subspecies garzetta 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, and the bare skin between the bill and eyes becomes red or blue. Juveniles are similar to non-breeding adults but have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet. Has yellow feet and a bare patch of grey-green skin between the bill and eyes. The subspecies nigripes differs in having yellow skin between the bill and eye, and blackish 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. (Wikipedia)

Habitat:

Spotted in Kalochori lagoon and estuaries of Gallikos river. The case of the lagoon Kalochori is unique in Greece, as it is a "new" wetland created gradually from the mid-'50s, as a result of ground subsidence caused by overexploitation of water from underground aquifers in conjunction with the loose of the soil (Anastasiadis et al 2004). Today the lagoon covers an area of 2,260 acres. The depth of the lagoon is 0.5 to 1 meter below the sea. Despite the general deterioration of the lagoon, due to drought, rubbish and waste, is one of the most important areas within the protected area because of the large number waders and water birds gathering here all year long.

Notes:

Greek common name: Λευκοτσικνιάς.