85-100 cm, sexes similar. White plumage, yellow beak which becomes black in the breeding season. Present throughout the year, it does not, however, nest here. Numerous during migrations and wintering. It meets in large long-lasting roosting sites in lagoon groves, often associating with the egret. In its foraging, it frequents a wide range of habitats from tidal flats, valli di pesca (fishing reserves) and cultivated fields. Numerous at times in forage crops where it feeds on small mammals.