During the 19th C. the feathers of Little Egrets were considered highly fashionable and were sought after by milliners. They were a very valuable commodity and, as a result, Egrets were killed in enormous numbers. It was reaction to this trade, by Emily Williamson and a group of women conservationists, that led them to establish the RSPB.

Since this low point, things have been slowly improving for Little Egrets. Protective legislation enabled their numbers to recover, and it seems clear that, in recent decades, their range has been expanding. For most of the 20th C. these striking birds were occasional visitors to the UK, with all breeding colonies south of the channel. Then, in 1996, they established a breeding foothold at Brownsea Island. Since, they have been progressing steadily northwards. They are now a common sight along the river Wharfe and, in 2020, breeding was even recorded in Scotland.

So, how is this relatively recent arrival to the river Wharfe fitting in with the existing fauna? I thought Grey Herons, the Little Egret’s larger cousin, might be less than enthusiastic about their relatives coming to stay! Herons will often chase conspecifics away from a favoured feeding territory. So, it seemed reasonable to expect the smaller Little Egret would be on the losing end of similar encounters. Surprisingly, from what I have seen so far, and from reports in the literature of other locations, this is not the case.

There are undoubtedly similarities in resource requirements for Grey Herons and Little Egrets. Fish are key prey for both. Moreover, there are times when both hunt in similar areas of the river and adopt a similar strategy – i.e., either standing very still or slowly, quietly, and patiently stalking prey. However, there are also some noteworthy inter-species differences in foraging methods and prey characteristics.

It is relatively common to see Little Egrets adopt a much more active hunting strategy, moving quite quickly in pursuit of fish, sometimes with outstretched wings, and sometimes ‘shuffling’ their feet along the riverbed. This is a means of disturbing small fish. Given the difference in size between these species, it is not surprising that Herons can take much bigger fish. I think Herons also have a more eclectic diet, with voles and small birds being purposefully pursued at times (sometimes away from the river). These prey items don’t seem to have the same priority for Little Egrets. So, in the end, perhaps these differences in feeding behaviours are sufficient to enable peaceful coexistence of these otherwise rather similar species.

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