|
|
|
Egretta garzetta
 |
| Photo Information |
Copyright: TOMESCU Cezar Valentin (tomcezar)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 195 W: 0 N: 258]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (1631) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2007-04-26 |
| Categories: Birds |
| Camera: Canon 350 D, Canon EF 80-200 1:4.5-5.6 |
| Exposure: f/5.6, 1/1250 seconds |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2007-05-23 2:16 |
| Viewed: 783 |
| Points: 4 |
|
| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
The Little Egret it is a common bird in the Danube Delta, but it is a little shy.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Egret
The adult Little Egret is 55–65 cm long with an 88–106 cm wingspan. It weighs 350–550 grams. Its plumage is all white. It has long black legs with yellow feet and a slim black bill. There is . In the breeding season, the adult has two long nape plumes and gauzy plumes on the back and breast. The bare skin between the bill and eyes becomes red or blue. Juveniles are similar to non-breeding adults but have duller legs and feet. The subspecies garzetta has yellow feet and a bare patch of grey-green skin between the bill and eyes, whereas nigripes has yellow skin between the bill and eye and blackish feet.
Little Egrets are mostly silent but make various croaking and bubbling calls at their breeding colonies and produce a harsh alarm call when disturbed.
The Little Egret nests in colonies, often with other wading birds, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs or in a reedbed or bamboo grove. In some locations such as the Cape Verde Islands, the species nests on cliffs. Pairs defend a small breeding territory, usually extending around 3–4 m from the nest. The three to five eggs are incubated by both adults for 21–25 days to hatching. They are oval in shape and have a pale, non-glossy, blue-green colour. The young birds are covered in white down feathers, are cared for by both parents and fledge after 40 to 45 days.
This egret stalks its prey in shallow water, often running with raised wings or shuffling its feet. It may also stand still and wait to ambush prey. It eats a variety of small animals including fish, amphibians, crustaceans, and insects.
At one time, the plumes of the Little Egret and other egrets were in demand for decorating hats. They had been used for this purpose since at least the 17th century but in the 19th century it became a major craze and the number of egret skins passing through dealers reached into the millions. Egret farms were set up where the birds could be plucked without being killed but most of the supply was obtained by hunting which reduced the population of the species to dangerously low levels (stimulating the establishment of Britain's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in 1889). Now conservation laws protect this species, and the population has rebounded strongly. |
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes. |
|
|
| Discussions |
| None | | You must be logged in to start a discussion. |
|
vad ca delta e la moda...
frumoase garzettele tale, se vad bine talpile galbene
Lucian.
- NinaM
(6596)
- [2007-05-30 11:26]
-
Wow, I am surprised you only got 2 points for this picture, even though the birds are a little overexposed, maybe you could correct it. I really like this point of view with the birds as if they were gracile and so light, like floating over the water. I also like the branches of the tree graciously framing the bird. Thank you for this beautiful capture,
Francine
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 138 W: 13 N: 243]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(1541)