But the egrets don't work for free. They can take advantage of the situation, gather in the fish and shrimp scared up by the spoonbills and thus save themselves some effort. Even the Chinese egret, which stands quietly by at the water's edge, is not really an innocent bystander. Its quiet demeanor is actually a strategy for making the fish let down their guard.
然而，大白鷺也不是免費服務，它們會趁便撿食被黑琵攪動而驚慌四竄的魚蝦，讓自己省點腳力；即便是靜立水邊的「唐白鷺」，也不是真的不食人間煙火，它的如如不動，其實是鬆懈魚兒心防的一種策略。