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Little Egret

Egretta garzettaOrder: CICONIIFORMESFamily: Bitterns, Herons and Egrets (Ardeidae)

Little Egret Nonbreeding - The nonbreeding Little Egret has gray facial skin and lacks the plumes.
Little Egret Nonbreeding
Little Egret - The breeding adult Little Egret is all white with yellow facial skin. There are two or three long plumes on the back of the head.
Little Egret
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Family
Species Egretta garzetta
Length22 - 26 Inches
Wingspan34 - 41 Inches

Little Egret

Little Egret: Medium-sized, all white egret with plumes on head, breast, and back. Legs are black with yellow feet. Black bill, and yellow lores. Nonbreeding adult lacks head and back plumes, has gray lores, and shows yellow on lower legs. Difficult to distinguish from Snowy Egret. Flight is direct.

● Song: "croak"

● Foraging & Feeding: Little Egret: Feeds along shorelines, in wet or dry fields, and may often follow cattle. Eats a wide variety of insects, small fish, crustaceans, amphibians and other small animals.

● Breeding & nesting: Little Egret: Nests in colonies on ground or in trees. Lays five or six green blue eggs that both parents incubate for 21 to 25 days. Chicks make first flight when 40 to 45 days old.

● Similar species: Little Egret: Snowy Egret is virtually identical except that its yellow facial skin continues over the top of the bill instead of being interrupted by a small patch of white feathers.

Flight Pattern

Slow deliberate wing beats.
Little Egret Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Little Egret: Widespread in Africa, Asia, Europe, Indian and Southeast Asia, very rarely wanders to the north Atlantic states of North America.
BreedingColonial
PopulationRare to casual
MigrationNorthern birds migrate
Weight17.6 Ounces