Birds
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta · also called little egrets
Shuffling bright yellow feet through shallow water across four continents, a little egret flushes hidden prey into view before striking, a hunting trick and colour scheme it shares with its unrelated Atlantic counterpart, the snowy egret.
Overview
The little egret, Egretta garzetta, is a slender, entirely white egret native to wetland and coastal habitat spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Its bright yellow feet contrasting with black legs, active foot-stirring hunting technique, and extraordinarily wide four-continent distribution make it one of the most widely recognised and geographically far-reaching egrets found anywhere in the Old World.
A mirror image across the ocean
The little egret and the unrelated snowy egret of the Americas have independently arrived at strikingly similar appearances and hunting techniques, a case of two egrets converging on the same successful strategy an ocean apart.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and stable across suitable wetland and coastal habitat spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Little Egret: common questions
Is the little egret the same as the snowy egret?
No, the two are different species that occupy a similar ecological role on different sides of the world, with the little egret found across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia and the snowy egret restricted to the Americas.
How does the little egret hunt?
This species hunts using an active foot-stirring technique, shuffling its bright yellow feet through shallow water to flush hidden prey into the open before delivering a quick, precise strike.
How widespread is the little egret?
This species has an extraordinarily wide distribution, found across suitable wetland and coastal habitat throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, making it one of the most broadly distributed egrets in the world.
How can you identify a little egret?
This species can be identified by its slender white body, black bill, black legs, and bright yellow feet, a combination of features that closely mirrors the unrelated snowy egret found across the Atlantic.