Little Egret

Egretta garzetta

Order:

Pelecaniformes

Family:

Ardeidae

Size:

55-65 cm

Weight:

280-710 g

Taxonomy:

E. g. garzetta (Linnaeus, 1766)

Short Description:

The Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) is a small, elegant bird belonging to the heron family. It measures around 55-65 centimeters in length with a wingspan of approximately 90-100 centimeters. Its plumage is predominantly white, with contrasting black legs, a slender black bill, and distinctive yellow feet. During breeding season, its plumes develop elongated feathers on its back and neck.

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast

In Pakistan, the Little Egret is predominantly found in freshwater habitats such as marshes, lakes, rivers, and wetlands across various regions of the country, including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They are also commonly spotted in coastal areas and mangrove forests along the coastlines.

Little Egrets are often solitary feeders, although they can be found in small groups, especially during the breeding season. Their diet primarily consists of fish, frogs, small crustaceans, and insects, which they catch by standing motionless or slowly stalking their prey in shallow water. They are known for their distinctive feeding behavior, where they use their bright yellow feet to stir up the muddy water, flushing out hidden prey. Outside of the breeding season, they may also form mixed-species foraging flocks with other waterbirds. During the breeding season, they build nests in trees or reed beds, laying a clutch of eggs that hatch after approximately three weeks of incubation.