Identification
A slender white egret with a dark bill and, typically, black legs with yellow feet. Fine breeding plumes add detail but are not present all year.
When to look
European birds include migrants and dispersing populations. Romanian local numbers vary through the seasons and with available unfrozen feeding water.
Where to look
Shallow fresh, brackish and saline wetlands provide feeding habitat, including pools, lake edges and coastal shallows.
Behaviour and ecology
Food and nutrition
Fish and other small aquatic animals are caught in shallow water. Active steps can help disturb prey into moving.
Breeding and life cycle
It often nests colonially with other herons. Roosting sites and nest colonies may serve many birds beyond the individuals currently visible.
A closer look
The yellow feet are a useful comparison with larger white egrets, but water, mud and distance can hide them from view.
Global conservation assessment
LC · Least Concern
Global category recorded from the linked assessment; it does not describe local abundance. Least Concern does not mean absence of threats.
View the source assessment ↗Observation and photography
Compare several features instead of relying on one colour. Stay outside colony vegetation and let feeding birds move naturally.
Sources and further reading
Keep a distance that allows birds to feed and rest normally. Do not enter colonies, approach nests, flush roosts or use playback for photographs. Never publish precise nest locations of sensitive species. Follow reserve rules and your guide's advice.