1. Little egret – Egretta cinerea
Little egret is a small swamp bird with a body length of 55-65 cm, a wingspan of 86-106 cm, and a weight of 300-600 g. The plumage of an adult is pure white, but sometimes there are black herons with a white chin - this type of coloration is called "morpha". Little egret has a long and a thin neck that helps to catch fish. The beak of the little egret is small, but sharp.
Little egret was common in Eurasia, North America, and Africa. In Ukraine, it nests throughout the territory, except for the Crimea.
Little egret is a migratory bird. It winters in Africa, Southern Europe and Asia.
Little egret nests on freshwater lakes, large ponds with reed banks, river beds. The nest is built on shallow water, among reeds or other coastal vegetation.
There are 3-5 eggs in a clutch of a little egret. The eggs are incubated by the female and the male in turn. Chicks hatch after 24-26 days. After hatching, the chicks grow quickly and begin to fly after a few weeks.
Little egret feeds on fish, insect larvae, mollusks and other aquatic invertebrates.
Little egret is a fairly common species, but in some regions its numbers are declining. The reasons for this are pollution of water bodies, destruction of coastal plants and poaching.
In Ukraine, the little egret was listed in the Red Book in the status of "Invaluable".
Photo: Volodymyr Kucherenko