Powdered down springs

All herons, including me, have a special kind of down feathers whose tip turns to powder: the powdered down feathers. I use the powder for cleaning and smoothing my plumage.

Plumes

On my head there are also a few special feathers. During the breeding season, 2 long plumes grow on the back of my head. These grow up to 15 centimeters long. Together with my female, I make the nest to nest in. I bring the twigs and dry reeds and my female then builds the nest. We have to defend it from the other little egrets nearby. They try to steal the twigs and stalks!

Fly far

Besides the special feathers, of course, I also have ordinary feathers to fly with. When I have chicks, I sometimes fly very far away from my nest to find food for them. I busily hunt for fish and other small animals in the water.

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