Behaviour
Slaty Egrets are largely sedentary but they shows some movement in response to rains, which cause seasonal variations in wetland conditions. These movements are poorly understood. It is a year round resident in some areas, such as Zambia, yet it is not known to breed in that country. Infrequent records from countries abutting the main range i.e. Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa, demonstrate that Slaty Egrets are somewhat nomadic.
It prefers to feed mainly on small fish, especially cichlids, but in ephemeral wetlands where there are no fish, it will feed on frogs, aquatic invertebrates and tadpoles. It hunts by sight in clear, shallow water. It will also glean snails from lily pads and can catch dragonflies and other insects using a "standing flycatching" technique. It is a daytime forager, and often forages in association with other wading birds. Slaty Egrets usually forage in small flocks of 4-8 birds, although it may forage solitarily or even in larger aggregations of up to 60 birds.
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