Little Egret

Description:

The ‘Little Egret’ is a small white egret with slight neck, dark grey-black legs, black bill, vivid yellow feet and a grey-green patch of skin between the bill and eye. In the breeding season the plumage includes two ribbon-like head plumes, and abundant plumes on the back and breast. Juvenile little egrets are similar in appearance to the non-breeding adults, but have less striking coloration on the feet and around the eyes. Males are larger than females and juveniles are smaller than adults. Juveniles lack or have poorly developed plumes.

Habitat:

Marsh, swamp.

Notes:

The ‘Little Egret’ is also called as the 'Yellow-footed Egret'. The Little Egret hunts in shallow water by shuffling a foot to stir up aquatic prey, which it then takes in a lightning-fast movement. It also chases small fish with its wings raised. Little egrets nest in mixed or single species colonies, and lay four to six eggs in single clutch, with the chicks hatching three weeks later and fledging at four weeks old. The chicks will spend a further month in their parents' care before leaving the nest and dispersing.