Audubon
Type in your search and hit enter
Type in your search and hit go

Guide to North American Birds

 Find a Bird

Adult. Photo: Thai National Parks/Flickr Creative Commons

Little Egret

Egretta garzetta

This Old World counterpart to our Snowy Egret was formerly only an accidental visitor to North America, with only one record before 1980. Since 1980 it has been recorded several times along our Atlantic Coast during the warmer months. These strays probably make the crossing from West Africa to the Caribbean, and then migrate north on our side of the Atlantic.
Family Herons, Egrets, Bitterns
This Old World counterpart to our Snowy Egret was formerly only an accidental visitor to North America, with only one record before 1980. Since 1980 it has been recorded several times along our Atlantic Coast during the warmer months. These strays probably make the crossing from West Africa to the Caribbean, and then migrate north on our side of the Atlantic.
Photo Gallery



Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
Learn more about these drawings.

Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds

Download Our Bird Guide App

Songs and Calls
Usually silent. Some calls similar to Snowy Egret. Breeding individuals give rapid gobbling sounds.
Audio © Lang Elliott, Bob McGuire, Kevin Colver, Martyn Stewart and others.
Learn more about this sound collection.

Little Egret In the News More News

Watch a Black Heron Fool Fish by Turning Into an Umbrella
News

Watch a Black Heron Fool Fish by Turning Into an Umbrella

The behavior, called canopy feeding, is an especially effective way to hunt.

Read more

Explore Similar Birds

These birds need your help