The squacco heron feeds mainly on larval insects, but can supplement its diet with small fish, amphibians, crustaceans, molluscs and, under exceptional circumstances, even small birds. It prefers to feed alone or in small groups of two to five individuals, although during periods of food scarcity, such as during migration and in winter, groups of up to 20 feeding individuals can form (3). The squacco heron is mainly active at sunrise and sunset, sleeping during the day and night in large sheltered groups (3).
The squacco heron breeds from April to July in Europe and northern Africa (3), either in a single-species colony or in groups of up to 2,000 pairs alongside other species such as little egrets, cattle egrets, black-crowned night herons and grey herons (7). It builds its nests two to twenty metres above the water level in a tree or in dense scrub vegetation, laying three to four eggs at a time (3).