These are found mainly in coastal and inland areas of northern, eastern and south-eastern Australia, they are common in the north, uncommon in the south and only a winter visitor to Tasmania. They are also found in Africa, Europe, Asia and New Guinea. We have four species of different sized white Egrets here but the little Egret is the only one with a black beak.
Their habitat is tidal mudflats, saltwater and freshwater wetlands, and mangroves. They can be nomadic and migratory, depending on water levels in wetlands and other climatic factors, but here they seem to be permanent.
They feed on a wide variety of fish, insects, amphibians, crustaceans, and small reptiles that they stalk in shallow water, sometimes running with raised wings or shuffling their feet to disturb small fish or standing still and waiting to ambush prey.
In the breeding season the plumage includes two ribbon-like head plumes and abundant plumes on the back and breast. The sexes are alike and breeding occurs in colonies with other waterbirds where a rough nest of sticks is built over water, both sexes incubate the eggs and share other parental duties.