The Little Egret is a small, all-white egret, similar in shape but half the size of a Grey Heron.
Little Egrets are elegant, snow-white wading birds with long legs and a long S-shaped neck. Their straight, dagger-like bill is black, and their eyes are yellow. These birds have black legs with characteristic yellow feet, although this feature is often hidden under the water.
Female Little Egrets are smaller than their male counterparts but otherwise similar. In the breeding season, both sexes develop long paired plumes on the nape of the neck and long feathers on the breast and shoulders.
Juveniles appear similar to non-breeding adults but have dull greenish bills and legs and lack yellow feet.
Little Egrets in the UK are most likely to be confused with another all-white species, the Great White Egret (Ardea alba). However, that species is much taller and larger, with a yellow bill and yellow upper legs.
The Little Egret may appear large in flight or when standing tall with a fully extended neck, but they can look dramatically smaller when hunched at rest.
