In breeding plumage, little egrets have a white body, with long feathers on the upper breast and recurved scapular feathers. On the head the face is pale-blue grey with red lores. There are two long and fine white feathers on the back of the crown that extend to the nape and mid-neck.
The thin, pointed bill is black on the upper mandible and grey on the lower. The eyes are yellow, and the legs are black with bright orange or red feet.
Out of breeding plumage, little egrets lack the long feathers on their body and their lores are grey. The bill is black, the eyes are pale yellow, the legs are black, and the feet are yellow. Males and females look similar.
Juvenile little egrets resemble the adult in winter but the bill is duller and greenish, the legs are greenish-grey.
Little egrets breed between March and June and produce 1 brood a season. They are monogamous and nest in loose colonies with other species in the family in marshes, rivers, wetlands, and estuaries. It is placed on the ground, or in reedbeds, or sometimes in trees or bushes. The male brings materials for the nest to the female who arranges them into a flimsy platform made from sticks and reed stems.
Little egrets lay 3-4 smooth, pale greenish-blue eggs which are incubated by both parents for 21-25 days. In between turns the perform ritual bowing displays with fluffed plumage accompanied by calls.
The chicks are covered in white down and have a pink bill and legs which soon turn blue-grey. They climb out of the nest at about 3 weeks and can fly at 5 weeks when they follow adults and learn how to feed themselves. They fledge at about 40-45 days after hatching but will roost at the nest colony for some time after.
Little egrets are opportunistic feeders and eat fish, aquatic insects, crustaceans, amphibians, molluscs, worms, reptiles, and small birds. They stalk their prey in shallow water or wait before striking. The prey is swallowed whole and indigestible parts, such as bones, claws, and feathers, are regurgitated as pellets.
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