Little Egret - Five Sisters Zoo

A medium-sized heron species, the Little Egret is generally all white with a black beak, black legs, and yellow feet. During mating and breeding season, they will grow larger feather plumes on their heads, neck and upper back which were the cause of significant population decline as the birds were hunted for those plumes.

Facts

Diet: Carnivore; fish, invertebrates, some crustaceans, birds and amphibians.

Weight: 450g

Length: 60cm

Wingspan: 92cm

Habitat: Coast of Mediterranean Sea, sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, India, Indonesia and Australia; inhabits brackish and freshwater areas with access to shallow water including saltmarches, tidal flats, and some agricultural spaces such as rice paddies. Can also be found in some drier areas providing appropriate food is plentiful.

Life Span: 5 years

Adapted to Survive

  • Has been able to adapt to some environmental change and agricultural development
  • Will nest in the same spaces as other birds, creating safety in numbers

Threats

  • Habitat loss and fragmentation
  • Continued agricultural development

IUCN Conservation Status

Least Concern

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