Little Egret

Characteristics

A type of white heron that is one size smaller than a great egret. In the summer plumage, two crest feathers protrude from the back of the head. It also has decorative feathers on its chest and shoulders. In winter, it has no decorative feathers and is a little plain. It lives in the same place as the Great Egret, so it is difficult to distinguish it, but compared to the Great Egret, it has a shorter bill and is black throughout the year. Another point is where the fingers are yellow. When flying, it flies with its neck shortened into an S-shape like other herons.

Ecology

It lives in shallow water such as rivers and paddy fields and eats small fish and crustaceans. Not only the beak, but also the legs shake to move and eat the prey. They live in groups and form colonies in forests to reproduce. During the day, they are more active and forage than other herons. They are active until evening and return to their roosts when it gets dark.

Habitat

I found them feeding in the shallows of Nogawa, Mitaka City. It is relatively easy to distinguish because it has not been seen with other herons in wild rivers. It moves slowly by stepping over obstacles such as aquatic plants, and pecks and eats small fish when it finds them.It is often seen in Asakawa, Hachioji City, but it is mixed with other herons and is often difficult to identify.