Little Egret [Egretta garzetta] | IITM Heritage Centre

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Little Egret [Egretta garzetta]

Flora & Fauna

Salim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley describe the Little Egret as “A lanky snow-white waterside bird.” They also say that the bird “still-hunts or stalks prey in the characteristic heron manner, lunging out with its flexible neck and dagger bill to seize the quarry.” According to Wikipedia, the bird stalks its prey in shallow water, “often running with raised wings or shuffling their feet to disturb small fish, or may stand still and wait to ambush prey.” Egrets are known to develop fine plumes on their nape (milky white) in the breeding season. The name ‘egret’ is derived from the French word aigrette. According to Wikipedia, aigrette means both “silver heron” and also “brush”, “referring to the long, filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season”. The adult Little Egret measures around 60 cm, with a wingspan of 88-106 cm.

Collection:

Nature Collection

Album Name:

Sathasivam collection - Birds

Photograph ID:

001/0387/0003

Album ID:

0387

Photographers:

Kumaran and Ramila Sathasivam are keen naturalists and photographers. Their photographs have appeared in a number of publications, including Blackbuck, the journal of the Madras Naturalists' Society. Kumaran Sathasivam is a 1980s' IIT Madras alumnus. His book A Forest in the City is about his natural history experiences during his student days.