The Little Egret is a graceful small white heron found across much of the Old World and, more recently, in the Americas. All-white plumage, a slender black bill, black legs, and strikingly bright yellow feet make it one of the most elegant and recognizable waterbirds. In the breeding season adults grow long, wispy plumes on the head, breast, and back that were once so prized by the millinery trade that the species was heavily hunted.
An active and often lively feeder, the Little Egret hunts in shallow water using a variety of techniques, from patient stalking to dashing after prey with wings raised. It has expanded its range considerably in recent decades, colonizing new regions including parts of Britain and the Caribbean, and is now a familiar sight along coasts, estuaries, and freshwater wetlands across a vast area.
The combination of all-white plumage, a thin black bill, black legs, and vivid yellow feet is diagnostic. In breeding condition, look for the two long fine head plumes and the loose plumes on the back and breast. Its small size and slim build separate it from larger white egrets and herons.
| Plumage | Entirely white in all seasons |
| Bill | Slender and black |
| Legs and feet | Black legs with contrasting bright yellow feet |
| Breeding plumes | Two long nape plumes plus wispy plumes on back and breast |
| Size | Small heron, about 55-65 cm with an 88-106 cm wingspan |
| Feeding action | Active, often running, foot-stirring, or dashing after prey in shallows |
The Little Egret is generally quiet away from the colony but gives harsh, croaking and bubbling calls when disturbed or squabbling over feeding sites. At breeding colonies it becomes much more vocal, producing a range of grating and gargling sounds during displays and interactions with neighbors. These rasping notes are typical of herons and egrets in general.
The Little Egret occurs across southern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, southern and eastern Asia, and Australasia, and it has spread into the Caribbean and coastal parts of the Americas. It favors a wide range of wetlands including estuaries, coastal lagoons, marshes, rivers, lakes, and rice fields. Northern populations are partly migratory, moving south for the winter, while many others are resident.
The diet is varied and dominated by small fish, but it also includes amphibians, crustaceans, aquatic insects, worms, molluscs, and occasionally small reptiles. The Little Egret is an energetic hunter, stalking slowly, stirring the bottom with a foot to flush prey, or running through the shallows with wings spread to startle fish into moving. It often forages alongside other waterbirds.
Little Egrets nest colonially, often with other herons and egrets, building a platform of sticks in trees, reedbeds, or shrubs near water. The female typically lays 3 to 5 pale blue-green eggs, and both parents share incubation and feeding of the chicks. The young hatch after around three weeks and clamber about the nest before fledging, with the colony coming alive with noise and activity through the breeding season.
- Snowy Egret: The New World counterpart, very similar with black legs and yellow feet
- Great Egret: Much larger with a yellow bill and all-dark legs and feet
- Cattle Egret: Stockier with a yellow bill, often found in fields away from water
How do I tell a Little Egret from other white herons?
Look for its small size, thin black bill, black legs, and bright yellow feet, which together separate it from larger white egrets and the yellow-billed Great Egret.
Why does it have long plumes in spring?
Adults grow fine ornamental plumes for the breeding season to use in courtship displays; these feathers were once heavily hunted for the hat trade.
Is the Little Egret rare?
No. It is listed as Least Concern and has actually expanded its range in recent decades, colonizing new areas including Britain and the Caribbean.
What does it eat?
Mostly small fish, along with amphibians, crustaceans, insects, and other small aquatic animals caught in shallow water.