BTO Bird ID - Little Egret and Great White Egret

25 years ago the sighting of any White Heron in the UK would have been greeted with excitement. While Little Egret is now relatively common, it can sometimes be confused at distance with a much rarer visitor - Great White Egret. This video also helps separate GW Egret from 'white' or leucistic Grey Herons.

25 years ago I lived in SW Eire (Co.Cork). Little Egrets were common and breeding locally. An English birder - who runs his own wildlife business, came to visit us. I still remember his surprise when he announced after a week of birding he'd counted more Little Egrets than Mallards on our local estuaries. !!

[benwesten]

Excellent ID guide, my Little Egret had muddy feet fooling me but you've helped figure it out.

[TheChainOfGame]

I got the chance to see a great white egret only once, and I’ll never forget. Gorgeous bird, would love to see one again.

[liliaaaaaaaa]

Thank you for this informative video. I've only ever seen white egret in Egypt, when I was working at a dive centre there, both white and black egrets would come fishing on the shoreline early in the morning before all the tourists came. Yesterday I was sitting in the city centre in Leicester, as the sun was setting and was looking up at the sky to watch the birds flying around (they have had some breeding peregrines in the cathedral near where I was sitting) and lo and behold I saw what looked like a white egret flying past. I had no idea there were 2 types. I've managed to successfully identify the bird I saw flying overhead as a great white egret, from its yellow beak, pure white wings and flying style, it looked identical to the one shown as an example of one flying in the video above. So I'm very grateful for this video. I love all things stork and heron related, so it was a pleasure to see one. It's interesting even I posted a picture of one with a philosophical saying "Thanks to impermanence, everything is possible" on FB yesterday lol, so it was surprising to see one flying by in real life, as if the universe was providing a literal affirmation in bird form. Blessings for all the birds and all the bird watchers who care about them and their lives and safety and welfare around the world as part of the natural ecosystems of the world. :-)

[KGsPhotography]

I love watching the Egret's fishing. I watched a Great White Egret catch a huge Pike last year.

[bearlincs]

I`ve been seeing little egrets in my local area(east Lincolnshire) for a decade or so. Their numbers have slowly increased over the years. They`re usually seen near rivers or watercourses, but sometimes out on the sea marsh, too.
I saw my first great white egret today(29/10/2018) a few miles from home. At first I thought it a swan as it was several hundred yards away, but as the video notes, it had that very long and slim neck, long, sharp beak,
and took to flight far too easily for a swan. Its flying action had slow, powerful beats.

[Kaplka]

I came here after today's wordle. Had no idea what an egret was. Thanks for the info.

[andykendrick]

You will also find egrets at Wrabness / Parkeston  area of the River Stour (Estuary).  I have seen them around this area for around 20+ years.  Not believing my eyes when I first saw them wading the shallows.
I believe the RSPB have a bird watching hut(s) all but on the foreshore, conveniently really close to where these birds follow the tide in and out.

[WildwoodTV]

1:16 Mistaken for a discarded plastic bag - gets me every time, & 2:27 Truly miserable! 🤣🤣

[davidhargreaves]

Saw this morning a Little Egret (white) in the River Pinn at Ruislip, Hillingdon, first time I have ever seen one.

[petsnest]

What a great stuff you have uploaded on your channel.Thanks for uploading

[JolaFallach]

I saw a Little Egret in Wanstead Park along some Black Cormorants this week; before I saw a few baby little egrets in summer 2019 in Epping Forest by Hollow Pond at Leytonstone. They seem to be very shy of people.

[botanicaltreasures]

Extremely helpful bird ID videos. Interesting too. Thanks!

[anne-mariepowell]

Saw a Little Egret alone in the River Exe at Exeter 4/8/19 on the north side of the river just below the City quayside in the vegetation below the large weir

[malcolmfisher]

Thanks for this informative video. Just a few hours ago on the afternoon of Thursday 13th. November 2014,  I captured a video of a Little Egret on the River Tame in Tamworth. I have seen them there before, but never got close enough to get a half decent video before Gulls drove them off. Sadly my video is only a quarter decent effort, partly because of the blustery conditions.

[jonnyjobes]

Spotted one off the coast of Dublin yesterday, inbetween the coast road and Bull Island. I've seen them abroad so many times but never here before.

[bluemacaroons]

i saw a little egret in the river yesterday. I don't usually see them there but the river was very shallow that day so i think it was looking for food.

[elainesadlier]

I think that I saw a little egret in Erdington tonight. Can't see what else it might have been. Happy days!!

[davewhite]

I live in south yorkshire not far from doncaster went out with my dog muff and was verry exited to see a little egret in the ditch near our local spring iv got a vidio but its not to clear was watching it through binoculars and it was definitely a little egret it was verry nice to see amazing white coulor black legs n black beak

[dragon-acrocantho]

Thank you for Informational egret footage.