Little Egret

By courtesy of Cheng Siu Bun

The little egret comes from the heron family. They are found in southern Europe, Africa, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The little egrets in Europe are migratory birds who winter in Africa. Being waders, they are found near coastal areas and on wetlands. Little egrets live in packs and nest communally in trees and reedbeds. There are quite a number of little egrets near the University and the area near the Tai Po railway station is one of Hong Kongs egret colonies. These waterfowls visit Weiyuan Lake in Chung Chi from time to time. The bird shown in this picture is in its breeding period, as evidenced by the plumes on its head.

References
1. The Birds of Hong Kong and South China (Chinese edition) , Clive Viney, Karen Philips and Lam Chiu Ying,
Hong Kong Government Information Service, 1989.
2. http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/littleegret/index.asp