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Little EgretAlternate name(s): "Lesser Egret", "Spotless Egret" Size: 55-65 cm; wingspan: 88-106 cm Weight: 350-550 g |
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Similar |
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Photos |
Race "garzetta"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Lateral view of a Little Egret in flight - note the yellow feet
which characterize this race
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Buffalo Creek point, Darwin, NT, November 2018]
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Additional information |
More photos were obtained by us in Europe and Oman.
Race "nigripes"
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
Close-up frontal view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage;
note the prominent nuchal plumes
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
looking sideways
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Near-frontal view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
looking sideways
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Coolmunda Dam, Darling Downs, QLD, November 2017]
Near-lateral view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, May 2021]
Near-lateral view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Coolmunda Dam, Darling Downs, QLD, November 2017]
Close-up lateral view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Close-up lateral view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, September 2022]
Lateral view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, May 2021]
Close-up lateral view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2022]
Lateral view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Coolmunda Dam, Darling Downs, QLD, November 2017]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage,
different posture (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Coolmunda Dam, Darling Downs, QLD, November 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Coolmunda Dam, Darling Downs, QLD, November 2017]
Direct comparison of a Little Egret in breeding
plumage, right, with
a White-faced Heron,
left (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Coolmunda Dam, Darling Downs, QLD, November 2017]
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NON-BREEDING |
Close-up full-frontal view of a Little Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Ross-Taylor)
[Gold Coast, QLD, June 2014]
Lateral view of a Little Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wyndham, WA, January 2016]
Lateral view of a Little Egret moulting into breeding
plumage;
it has no nuchal plumes yet (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2020]
Little Egret hunting in
mangrove in an
intertidal wetland
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, February 2012]
Near-dorsal view of a hunched Little Egret in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Ross-Taylor)
[Gold Coast, QLD, June 2014]
Near-dorsal view of a Little Egret in non-breeding
plumage in an
ephemeral wetland
[Near Walgett, NSW, June 2012]
Dorsal view of a Little Egret in non-breeding
plumage
looking sideways
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2022]
Near-lateral view of a Little Egret taking off
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2014]
Little Egret in transitional
plumage taking off
(photo courtesy of B. Kinross)
[Beachmere, QLD, August 2012]
Little Egret touching down in shallow water
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, September 2016]
Comparison between different species of egret/heron:
Pied Heron
at the back, Little Egret, front left, and
Great Egret,
front right
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fogg Dam CR,
NT, May 2018]
Direct comparison of a Little Egret with a
Brolga
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wyndham, WA, January 2016]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Oct - Dec | Eggs: 4 - 6 | Incubation period: 20 - 25 days | Fledging age: 35 - 37 days |
The breeding season depends significantly on geographical latitude. In the tropical north Little Egrets breed Feb. - June. Given the right conditions, Intermediate Egrets can breed any time of the year. They breed in colonies, together with other aquatic birds.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Basket | Material: Sticks | Height above ground: 5 - 20 m |
Seen nesting, together with other aquatic birds, along the shores of Narrabri Lake during the breeding season of 2011.
Little Egret on its nest
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2011]
Same bird and nest as above; view from a different angle; now
a chick can be seen under the adult bird's head
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2011]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 42 x 30 mm | Colour: Light blue | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Solitary/pair |
Little Egrets have a different hunting technique compared to other species of egrets or herons.
Instead of always waiting for the prey to move towards them and then snapping it up, they have been observed by us just walking up to their prey, actively pursuing prey in shallow water and also performing some kind of "step-dance", chasing or encircling their prey.
Little Egret standing in the receding tide, waiting for prey to
come its way
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, March 2015]
Little Egret in breeding
plumage stalking its prey
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, March 2015]
Little Egret in breeding
plumage
actively pursuing its prey
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, March 2015]
Little Egret in non-breeding
plumage
stalking around its intended prey, with the intention of
trapping it in the circle created by the disturbance;
the circle is still visible in the wave pattern at the
water's surface
[Near Walgett, NSW, June 2012]
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Food, Diet |
All egrets and herons prey on aquatic creatures in fresh water or estuaries (fish, frogs, snakes or crustaceans).
Little Egret in breeding
plumage
with its catch (photo courtesy of B. Kinross)
[Beachmere, QLD, February 2014]