Little Egret
The little egret is a small white heron with attractive white plumes on
crest, back and chest, black legs and bill and yellow feet. It is
differentiated from the very similar
Cattle Egret
in non breeding plumage by its black bill and party coloured black and
yellow feet.
Local Names: Kilchia
(Hindi)
Chinnamunti (Malayalam)
Vellai Kokku (Tamil)
Little egrets are sociable birds and are often seen in small
flocks. Flies with steady wings beat, neck pulled in like a heron;roosts in
trees.
Food is insects, fish, frogs and small reptiles.
They use a variety of methods to procure their food; they stalk their
prey in shallow water, often running with raised wings or shuffling
their feet to disturb small fish, or may stand still and wait to ambush
prey.
Little egrets nest in colonies, often with other wading
birds. The nests are usually platforms of sticks built in trees or shrubs,
or in reed beds or bamboo groves. the birds nest on cliffs. Pairs
defend a small breeding territory, usually extending around 3 to 4 m
(10 to 13 ft) from the nest. The three to five eggs are incubated by
both adults for 21 to 25 days before hatching. They are oval in shape
and have a pale, non-glossy, blue-green shell colour. The young birds
are covered in white down feathers, are cared for by both parents and
fledge after 40 to 45 days.
References
The Book of Indian Birds (Salim Ali)
allaboutbirds.org
indianbirds.thedynamicnature.com
Pictures:
Kollam, kerala
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The photos are taken on a boat ride through the Ashtamudi lake in Kerala.
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