Little Egret

The Little Egret has a light, tidy look that is easy to remember. In a calm posture it reads as mostly white, with a slim black bill and long black legs standing out in motion.

It is usually quiet away from the colony, but becomes much noisier around nesting sites, where harsh, croaking calls carry well. When feeding, it may wait still or move quickly through shallow water, sometimes running with wings out.

Look for it along shallow rivers, lakes, canals, marshes, lagoons, and rice fields. It feeds on small fish, frogs, insects, and other small prey; in warm areas it stays year-round, while northern populations move south for winter.