Alan Williams / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) shaking its feathers, Elmley Marshes, Kent, UK, April

Alan Williams / Two Little egrets (Egretta garzetta) fighting over feeding territory, Oare Marshes, Kent, UK, October

Alan Williams / Group of Little egrets (Egretta garzetta) roosting in trees at dusk, Essex, UK, August

Alan Williams / Two Little egrets (Egretta garzetta) fighting over feeding territory, Oare Marshes, Kent, UK, October

Alan Williams / Two Little egrets (Egretta garzetta) fighting over feeding territory, Oare Marshes, Kent, UK, October

Alan Williams / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) feeding on fish, Elmley Marshes, Kent, UK, April

Alan Williams / Two Little egrets (Egretta garzetta) fighting over feeding territory, Oare Marshes, Kent, UK, October

Alan Williams / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) walking through wetlands, Minsmere RSPB Reserve, Suffolk, UK, July

Alan Williams / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) foraging in wetlands, Elmley Marshes, Kent, UK, May

Alan Williams / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) walking through wetlands, Minsmere RSPB Reserve, Suffolk, UK, July

Richard Du Toit / Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in wetland, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana

Gary K. Smith / Little egret (Egretta garzetta), hunting in tidal harbour, Norfolk, UK, February.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} in flight, Tamil Nadu, India

Gary K. Smith / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} in flight, Norfolk, UK, July

Peter Lewis / Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) fising, Titchfield Haven, Hampshire, UK

Dave Bevan / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) group resting amongst reeds, North Wales, UK, April

Graham Eaton / Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) Gwynedd, Wales, UK December

Graham Eaton / Flock of Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) roosting at side of lake, Gwynedd, Wales, April

Anup Shah / Little egrets {Egretta garzetta} perched in tree with herd of Buffalo passing below, East Africa

Anup Shah / Little egrets {Egretta garzetta} perched in tree with herd of Buffalo passing below, East Africa

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} feeding in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} wading in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} head profile, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} head profile, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little Egret {Egretta garzetta} feeding with beak open, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little Egret {Egretta garzetta} standing in water calling, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} at waters edge hunting sequence 3/3, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little Egret {Egretta garzetta} wading in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little Egret {Egretta garzetta} wading through water, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little Egret {Egretta garzetta} portrait standing in water, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} in lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} taking off from lake, Donana NP, Sevilla, Spain

David Kjaer / Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in marshland on the RSPB Reserve of Gray Lake, Somerset Levels, England

Gary K. Smith / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} wading along estuary coastline with fry in beak, Norfolk, UK

Gary K. Smith / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} wading along estuary coastline, Norfolk, UK

Bernard Castelein / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} in flight, Bundi, Rajasthan, India

Bernard Castelein / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} displaying breeding feathers, Bundi, Rajasthan, India

Bernard Castelein / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} Bundi, Rajasthan, India

Gary K. Smith / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) hunting in tidal harbour, Norfolk, UK

Gary K. Smith / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) wading in water, Norfolk, UK,

Konstantin Mikhailov / Little Egret (Egretta garzetta garzetta), Haleji Lake near Karachi, Pakistan, with Cotton Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus) behind.

Konstantin Mikhailov / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} Wetlands, Russia

Bengt Lundberg / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} perched in tree, Spain

Neil Lucas / Little egret {Egretta garzetta}, close-up of head, UK

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret (Egretta garzetta), Alicante, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret (Egretta garzetta), Alicante, Spain

Mike Wilkes / Little egret foraging, S Spain (Egretta garzetta)

Jason Smalley / Grey Heron {Ardea cinerea} and Little Egret {Egretta garzetta} fishing in Roseland creek, Cornwall, UK.

Tim Fitzharris / Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) silhouetted at sunset, Africa

Chris Gomersall / Little egret wading {Egretta garzetta} Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk, UK

Chris Gomersall / Little egret wading {Egretta garzetta} Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk, UK

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret. Portrait. {Egretta garzetta} Alicante, Spain.

Richard Du Toit / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} Moremi Wildlife Reserve, Botswana, South Africa.

Richard Du Toit / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} Moremi Wildlife Reserve, Botswana, South Africa.

Hermann Brehm / Little egret wading, Namibia

Jose B. Ruiz / Little egret in Santa Pola saltmarsh, Alicante, Spain

Tony Heald / Little egret {Egretta garzetta} Chobe NP, Botswana

Mike Wilkes / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) fishing off beach, The Gambia, December

Mike Wilkes / Little egret (Egretta garzetta) standing in water, The Gambia, December

Peter Lewis / Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in shallow water, UK.

Nature Production / Little Egrets {Egretta garzetta} roosting, Japan, November

Nature Production / Flock of Little Egret {Egretta garzetta} taking off from roost at sunset, Izunuma, Miyagi, Japan, November

Shin Yoshino / Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) with captured fish, Japan

Richard Du Toit / Little egrets {Egretta garzetta} Squacco herons {Ardeola ralloides} Zambia