Birds by Name – E

Egret

Egrets are basically types of Heron and the distinction between Egret and Heron is often blurred.

There is the Great White Egret, Ardea alba, similar in size to the Grey Heron but white with yellow beak and black feet. Unlike the Grey Heron they catch fish by skewering them with the sharp, pointed beak.

The Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, is a smaller, white Heron with a black beak, black legs and yellow feet.

The Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis, is slightly smaller than the Little Egret and rather than fish, it feeds on insects and worms, often from the hooves of the animals upon which they usually sit.

Egyptian Goose

The Egyptian Goose, Alopochen aegyptiacus, is a member of the family Anatidae and is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae. It is pale brown and grey with very distinctive dark brown eye-patches and has white wing patches in flight.

It was originally introduced from the Nile valley into many areas as an ornamental wildfowl species. Naturally, many escaped into the wild and subsequently bred in large numbers. These large feral populations are considered a pest in many countries.

The Egyptian Goose mainly eats seeds, leaves, grasses, and plant stems but will also occasionally feast on locusts, worms or other small animals.

Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Tadorninae
Genus: Alopochen
Species: A. aegyptiacus