Can egrets swim? What family do egrets belong to?

Friends who like to watch animals probably know that egrets usually walk along the riverside, salt fields or paddy fields while pecking. Their long beaks, long necks and long legs are very convenient for preying on animals in the water. Therefore, we often see that egrets have a close relationship with water. So can egrets swim? You need to open it and take a closer look! Does it look the same as you think?

Contents of this article

1. Can egrets swim?

2. What family does the egret belong to?

3. Lifespan of egrets

Can egrets swim?

Egrets cannot swim. With long leg bones and small webbed feet, they are not suitable for swimming and can only live in shallow water or wetlands. Egrets are a type of wading bird. They can occasionally float on the water, slowly wade with their feet, and prey on small fish in the water.

Egret is the general name for four species of birds in the class Aves, family Ardeidae, and genus Egretta. They are the great egret, intermediate egret, little egret, and yellow-billed egret. Their body feathers are all white, so they are all called egrets.

The great egret is larger in size, without a crest or breast feathers. The intermediate egret is medium in size, without a crest but with breast feathers. The little egret and yellow-billed egret are smaller in size, and have both a crest and breast feathers.

Egrets mainly live on coastal islands, coasts, bays, estuaries, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, rice fields and swamps, and feed on small fish, amphibians, reptiles and other animals in shallow water.

What family does the egret belong to?

Egrets belong to the family Ardeidae. Egrets are the common name for four species of birds in the genus Egretta of the family Ardeidae. There are 13 species in the genus Egretta, including the great egret, intermediate egret, little egret and yellow-billed egret. They all have completely white feathers and are commonly called "egrets".

Egrets mainly feed on various small fishes, and also eat shrimps, crabs, tadpoles, aquatic insects and other animal foods. They usually walk along the river, salt pans or paddy fields while pecking at food. Their long beaks, long necks and long legs are very convenient for preying on aquatic animals.

When egrets hunt, they wade gently forward, keeping their eyes on the small animals moving in the water, and then suddenly peck the water with their long beaks, picking the food accurately into their mouths.

The feathers of egrets are highly valuable. Their plumage is mostly white, and they have long decorative nuptial feathers during the breeding season. Their habits are roughly similar to those of other herons, but some species have courtship displays that include showing off their feathers.

Lifespan of egrets

The life span of egrets is about 7-10 years. The life span of egrets is relatively short because it takes a long time for them to grow from young birds to adults. There are 13 species of egrets in the genus Egret, including the great egret, the intermediate egret, the little egret and the yellow-billed egret. All of them have white feathers, which is what people usually call "egrets".

Egrets usually live on coastal islands, coasts, estuaries and rivers, lakes and streams near the coast, and generally move and forage during the day.

The breeding season of egrets is from May to July every year. They build nests on rocks on islands near the coast and on cliffs on the coast. They like to nest together in groups.

Egrets mainly feed on various small fish, and occasionally eat shrimp, crabs, aquatic insects and other animals. They generally use their long beaks, long necks and long legs to prey on aquatic animals.