FORAGING ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF FEEDING HABITATS OF LITTLE EGRETS (EGRETTA-GARZETTA) IN THE AXIOS RIVER DELTA, MACEDONIA, GREECE

From 1988 to 1990, Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) used all available feeding habitats in the study area, i.e., saltmarshes, freshwater hab itats and rice fields (breeding season primarily). Freshwater habitats were preferred during pre-breeding, breeding and post-breeding period s. However, foraging success there was generally lower than in other h abitats; a considerable part of the Little Egret population simply use d this habitat type without feeding possibly due to manmade habitat al terations that tool, place during the study period. Saltmarshes were a n important habitat: Little Egrets foraged exclusively there in March, and in the pre- and post-breeding periods foraging success was genera lly higher than in other freshwater habitats. In rice fields, Little E grets had a generally greater foraging success than in the other habit ats in two of the three study years. Conservation of feeding habitats should include prey management and protection from further habitat deg radation.