Egrets, also called aigrette, are a kind of beautiful water birds. They are rare animals in the world, belonging to members of several species of herons (family ardeidae, order Ciconiformes).

The beautiful egrets wear white plumages all over the body, like notable princess in white. They have slim body, long neck, long beak, long legs as well as long toes. Egrets fall into five genus: great white egret, intermediate egret, little egret, Chinese egret, and reef heron. Egrets typically frequent marshes, lakes and humid forests. They are wading birds and catch small fishes, shrimps, crabs, tadpoles and crustaceans in shallow waters for food. They build large, untidy nests in trees and bushes or on the ground. Their white plumages are highly prized as ornamentals by the ancients.

A natural reserve for egrets is built in Jiulongpo District, Chongqing Municipality in China, where more than 20,000 members of different species of herons can be found. And the beaches in Xiamen, Fujian Province, another typical habitat for egrets, are famous for the variety and amount of egrets. The total number of egrets in Xiamen reaches as high as 30,000.