Egrets are large birds known to be carnivores. Their general habitat involves ponds, shores, streams, mudflats, and other wetlands. Since they’re the dwellers of quiet waters, their primary diet comes from fish. They even choose to nest in a tree near water, preferably wetlands.
Egrets have a rather unique way of pouncing on prey. They stand quietly and firmly in the water and observe the animal till it comes within their range of attacking. In addition to fish, egrets eat insects (both small and large), reptiles, amphibians, and other similar species. We’re going to discuss in detail, what sort of animals and plants egret do or do not feed on.
Table of Contents
Aquatic Prey
Egrets feed on a variety of aquatic animals including fish, reptiles, and amphibians. The classification of their aquatic prey is given by:
Fish, Reptiles, and Amphibians
Fish come as a staple diet for egrets. Little egret preys eat small or dead fish, shrimp, as well as crustaceans and crabs. Great egrets can eat rather bigger fish and can swallow them entirely.
Being the habitats of wetlands, egrets prefer aquatic or semi-aquatic reptiles and amphibians over land-dwelling ones.
In the reptile category, little egrets can eat geckos, snakes, water snakes, and lizards. Besides, egrets also eat turtles and even baby alligators are consumed by great egrets since they’re larger birds of prey.
Being meat eaters, egrets love to eat frogs, tadpoles, toads, eels, crawfish, and salamanders.
Non-Aquatic Prey
Non-aquatic prey refers to every land-dwelling animal consumed by egrets. They involve insects, arachnids, birds, and even mammals.
Insects and Arachnids
Though egrets primarily eat aquatic species, insects and arachnids can be considered as their secondary dietary staple.
“Cattle egret” typically feeds on insects accompanied by the marching cattle across the field. This is the reason you may observe these egrets following cows and buffaloes.
Furthermore, cattle egrets walk behind lawnmowers and cutters as well to eat bees, bugs, flies, and mosquitoes stirred up by the slashing grass.
Hence, egrets can also eat ticks and moles.
Arachnids (including spiders and moths) are also the dietary consumptions of cattle egrets. Besides, a great eager can eat snails as well, although not-so-frequently.
Birds and Mammals
It may sound a bit weird but yes, egrets prey on birds as well (though smaller and easier to catch). Since they’re the water habitats, egrets eat birds, ducks, ducklings, baby ducks, duck eggs, eggs, chicken, and other birds and baby birds. When it comes to mammals, a great egret can eat rodents, squirrels, baby squirrels, mice, rats, chipmunks, and gophers. Concluding the discussion, it can be said that egrets eat pretty much every animal that is notably smaller in size compared to themselves.
What Do Egrets Not Eat?
Anything from kingdom Plantae is alien to egrets in terms of diet so egrets don’t eat fruit and other stuff. Egrets don’t eat plants, vegetables, fruits, seeds, and human food involving plants can never be consumed by egrets. Besides, egrets don’t eat bird seed, grass, or eagle. Additionally, egrets would run from bigger carnivorous animals and fishes for their life, rather than giving a thought to consuming them.
