Egrets ID Guide
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Small egret. Yellow or red eye, orange-yellow bill, and spiky orange plumes on head, breast and back.
Yellow eye, yellow bill, and sometimes a light-buff coloured wash on feathers.
Australia’s largest egret. Turquoise facial skin, yellow or back bill, and white plumes may be on back and tail.
Yellow facial skin and yellow bill with black tip (juveniles).
Smallest of the egrets. Yellow facial skin turns pinky-red during courtship, black bill, two long head plumes, and plumes on back and breast.
Bright yellow facial skin and black bill with part-yellow base.
Size is in-between the Eastern Cattle-Egret and the Great Egret. Green facial skin, red-rose bill, rose-red legs, and white plumes may be on back and breast.
Yellow facial skin, yellow bill, and fine plumes on breast.
Great - bill thinner and longer, gape extends past eye
Plumed - bill rounder and shorter, gape stops at eye
Little - bill black or black and yellow, gape stops at eye
Great - neck is 1.5 times length of body
Plumed and Little - neck is same length as body