Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Egretta gularis (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) contains the taxon dimorpha, which was previously included within E. garzetta following Kushlan and Hancock (2005). Prior to that, all three taxa were treated as separate species following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
del Hoyo, J.; Collar, N. J.; Christie, D. A.; Elliott, A.; Fishpool, L. D. C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2014 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Not Recognised | |
| 2008 | Not Recognised | |
| 2004 | Not Recognised | |
| 2000 | Not Recognised | |
| 1994 | Not Recognised | |
| 1988 | Not Recognised |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 151,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 164,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | unknown | poor | estimated | 2012 |
| Population trend | increasing | - | observed | - |
| Generation length | 6.6 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population is estimated at 660,000-3,150,000 individuals. Totals for E. g. garzetta and E. g. dimorpha from Wetlands International (2015) added together. The European population is estimated at 66,700-84,800 pairs, which equates to 133,000-170,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015).
Trend justification: The overall population trend is increasing, although some populations may be stable and others have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). The European breeding population trend is estimated to be decreasing (BirdLife International 2015) or stable (EBCC 2015) in the short-term.
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Albania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Algeria | extant | native | ||||
| Angola | extant | native | ||||
| Anguilla (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Antigua and Barbuda | extant | native | yes | |||
| Armenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Australia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Bahrain | extant | native | ||||
| Bangladesh | extant | native | ||||
| Barbados | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | |||
| Benin | extant | native | ||||
| Bhutan | extant | native | ||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | yes | |||
| Botswana | extant | native | ||||
| Brunei | extant | native | ||||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Burkina Faso | extant | native | ||||
| Burundi | extant | native | ||||
| Cambodia | extant | native | ||||
| Cameroon | extant | native | ||||
| Canada | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Cape Verde | extant | native | ||||
| Central African Republic | extant | native | ||||
| Chad | extant | native | ||||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | extant | native | ||||
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands (to Australia) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Congo | extant | native | ||||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | extant | native | ||||
| Côte d'Ivoire | extant | native | ||||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cyprus | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | native | yes | |||
| Djibouti | extant | native | ||||
| Dominica | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Egypt | extant | native | ||||
| Equatorial Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Eritrea | extant | native | ||||
| Eswatini | extant | native | ||||
| Ethiopia | extant | native | ||||
| Finland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| France | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gabon | extant | native | ||||
| Gambia | extant | native | ||||
| Georgia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ghana | extant | native | ||||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Guam (to USA) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Guinea-Bissau | extant | native | yes | |||
| Guyana | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Hong Kong (China) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| India | extant | native | ||||
| Indonesia | extant | native | ||||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ireland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Israel | extant | native | yes | |||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Japan | extant | native | ||||
| Jordan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kenya | extant | native | ||||
| Kuwait | extant | native | ||||
| Laos | extant | native | ||||
| Latvia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Lebanon | extant | native | ||||
| Lesotho | extant | native | ||||
| Liberia | extant | native | ||||
| Libya | extant | native | ||||
| Liechtenstein | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Luxembourg | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Malawi | extant | native | ||||
| Malaysia | extant | native | ||||
| Maldives | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mali | extant | native | ||||
| Malta | extant | native | ||||
| Martinique (to France) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mauritania | extant | native | ||||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | extant | native | yes | |||
| Moldova | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mongolia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Montserrat (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Morocco | extant | native | ||||
| Mozambique | extant | native | ||||
| Myanmar | extant | native | ||||
| Namibia | extant | native | ||||
| Nepal | extant | native | ||||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | |||
| New Zealand | extant | native | ||||
| Niger | extant | native | ||||
| Nigeria | extant | native | ||||
| North Korea | extant | native | yes | |||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Norway | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Oman | extant | native | ||||
| Pakistan | extant | native | ||||
| Palau | extant | native | ||||
| Palestine | extant | native | yes | |||
| Papua New Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Philippines | extant | native | ||||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Portugal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Qatar | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (European) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Rwanda | extant | native | ||||
| São Tomé e Príncipe | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Senegal | extant | native | ||||
| Serbia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Seychelles | extant | native | ||||
| Sierra Leone | extant | native | ||||
| Singapore | extant | native | ||||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Solomon Islands | extant | native | ||||
| Somalia | extant | native | ||||
| South Africa | extant | native | ||||
| South Korea | extant | native | ||||
| South Sudan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Spain | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | extant | native | ||||
| St Kitts and Nevis | extant | vagrant | ||||
| St Lucia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Sudan | extant | native | ||||
| Suriname | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Sweden | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Switzerland | extant | native | ||||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Taiwan, China | extant | native | ||||
| Tanzania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Thailand | extant | native | ||||
| Timor-Leste | extant | native | yes | |||
| Togo | extant | native | ||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Tunisia | extant | native | ||||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turkmenistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Uganda | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Kingdom | extant | native | yes | |||
| USA | extant | native | ||||
| Uzbekistan | extant | native | ||||
| Vietnam | extant | native | ||||
| Western Sahara | extant | native | ||||
| Yemen | extant | native | ||||
| Zambia | extant | native | ||||
| Zimbabwe | extant | native |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Ponds (below 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | major | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | major | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | resident |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | resident |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | suitable | resident |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Coral Reef - Back Slope | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Coral Reef - Foreslope (Outer Reef Slope) | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Coral Reef - Inter-Reef Rubble Substrate | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Coral Reef - Inter-Reef Soft Substrate | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Coral Reef - Lagoon | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Coral Reef - Outer Reef Channel | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | major | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | major | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | major | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes and Flats | suitable | resident |
| Altitude | 0 - 2000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Little Egret Egretta garzetta. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/little-egret-egretta-garzetta on 24/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 24/11/2024.