Egretta garzetta - Little Egret
Feather characters. Barbules are of medium length (1.29-1.41 mm) and are not pigmented. Borders between cells are visible, but hardly swollen and thus too small to qualify as nodes. These nodal structures (12-13 per mm) have about the same size along the entire length of the barbules, only slightly decreasing towards the tip. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Minute prongs are mostly located on proximal end of barbules on both sides of the pennulum.
Field characters. Size 55-65 cm. Weight 500 g (Dunning, 1993). A little, snow-white heron with slender neck, long thin, black bill, black legs, and contrasting yellow toes. Adult in summer with very long plumes on upper breast, mantle, and scapulars, forming loose train on latter; 2 long feathers extend from nape down back of neck. Flies leisurely on rounded wings, with head retracted and feet trailing well beyond tail.
Voice. In colony a croaking "kgááár"; usually silent elsewhere.
Distribution. Locally common, breeding colonially. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Breeds in trees or shrubs; generally near inland or coastal waters, frequenting open shallows in marshes, lagoons, floodlands and pools.
Food. Chiefly small fish, amphibians, and terrestrial or aquatic insects; occasionally crustaceans, lizards, worms, snails, snakes, and small mammals. A daytime and crepuscular feeder, capturing prey as it wades through the water or by running after it.