Wildlifeof Nepal
Little Egret
Storks, Herons, Ibises & Pelicans
Photo: Bengt Nyman · CC BY 4.0
Egretta garzetta
Basic stats
Diet
Small aquatic and land animals
Habitat
Wetlands, waterways and shorelines
Range
Warm temperate to tropical Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe
Clutch size
3–5 eggs
Incubation period
About 3 weeks
Size
55–65cm
Wingspan
88–106cm
Weight
350–550g
The little egret is a small white heron, 55–65cm long with a wingspan of 88–106cm and a weight of 350–550g, with a slender black bill, black lores, long black legs and yellow feet; the eye is yellow. Dark forms with largely bluish-grey plumage also occur. In the breeding season adults grow two long, narrow plumes on the nape and lacy plumes on the breast and back. Juveniles have greenish-black legs and duller feet (Wikipedia, general species account).
It feeds in shallow water and on land on a wide variety of small animals. It breeds colonially, often with other waterbirds, building a stick platform in a tree, bush or reedbed, and both parents incubate the three to five bluish-green eggs for about three weeks; the young fledge at about six weeks. In warm regions most birds are resident, while northern birds migrate, and its range has gradually spread north (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Little Egret eat?
- Small aquatic and land animals
- What habitat does the Little Egret live in?
- Wetlands, waterways and shorelines
- Where is the Little Egret found?
- Warm temperate to tropical Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe
- How many eggs does the Little Egret lay?
- 3–5 eggs
- How long are the eggs of the Little Egret incubated?
- About 3 weeks
- How big is the Little Egret?
- 55–65cm
- What is the wingspan of the Little Egret?
- 88–106cm
- How much does the Little Egret weigh?
- 350–550g