Little Egret: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Bengt Nyman · CC BY · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Egretta garzetta
- Family
- Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Size
- About 60 cm
- Habitat
- Shallow coastal waters, saltmarsh and ditches
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Oceania
The key marks
Slim white egret with a black bill, black legs and bright yellow feet; long plumes on the head in spring. Great Egret is much bigger with a yellow bill and black feet; Cattle Egret is stocky with a short yellow bill.
Voice
A harsh, croaking 'aaah' when disturbed.
Good to know
It often shuffles a foot in the water to scare up small fish and shrimps.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Great Egret. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in shallow coastal waters, saltmarsh and ditches. It is especially common in China, Greece, Madagascar and Thailand. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.