Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
Aves
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- 5-13 yrs
- Size
- Medium
- Diet
- Piscivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Colony
- Biome
- Freshwater wetland
- Range
- Africa, Asia and Europe
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Flight
- Status
- Common
About
The Little Egret is a slender white heron found across wetlands in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, often seen wading in shallow water on long black legs. During breeding season it grows fine, wispy plumes on its back and head that were once so prized for fashion that the species was hunted to near-collapse in parts of its range.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA clutch of eggs is incubated in the nest, kept warm by a brooding parent until the chicks pip free.
- 2.hatchlingA naked or downy hatchling is fed in the nest by its parents.
- 3.juvenileA feathered juvenile fledges from the nest and learns to fly and forage.
- 4.adultFully grown with adult plumage.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Genus
- Egretta
- Species
- Egretta garzetta