Eastern Reef Egret (Egretta sacra)

Other Names (World)
Pacific Reef-Egret, Eastern Reef-Egret, Reef Heron, Sacred Reef, Heron, Blue Heron, Blue Reef Heron, Pacific Heron, White Heron, White Reef Heron, Pacific Reef Heron, Pacific Reef-Heron

Family
Ardeidae (Herons)

Size
60 - 70 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Gmelin, 1789)

Derivation
E-gret'-ta - N.L., egret: sä'-cra - L., sacer, sacred

Abundance (Guide)
C

Common on the northern and north-eastern coasts, uncommon to rare in the south-east and south-west, being absent or vagrant to most of Victoria and Tasmania.

Habitat
Islands, rocky shores, exposed coral reefs, beaches, tidal rivers, inlets, mangroves.

Range (Guide)

Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (mainland), Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands (B), French Polynesia, Guam (B), India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Marshall Islands (B), Micronesia [Federated States of] (B), Myanmar, New Caledonia, New Zealand (B), North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands (B), Palau (B), Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Solomon Islands (B), South Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Timor-Leste (B) (NB), Tonga, Vietnam.

Vagrant to Nauru.

Coastal continental Australia generally, but rare in the south, and Tasmania.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 100,000 - 1,000,000 (2010).

Status LC
Secure.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Singly or in pairs.

Food
Small fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and other marine life.

Voice
Hoarse croaks.

(17Kb) © ? (1)

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (7)...)

Pacific Reef Heron (Egretta sacra) [XC108893]
by Ross Gallardy from Caqalai Island, Fiji (call)

Pacific Reef Heron (Egretta sacra) [XC831907]
by Marc Anderson from Mataking Island, Sabah, Malaysia (flight call)

Breeding Season (Guide)
Mostly September - February.

Nest
A platform composed of sticks, placed either on a rock or in the branches of a low bushy tree.

Eggs (Guide)
2 - 6; pale green; oval; about 46 x 35 mm. Incubation: about 25 - 28 days.

Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 5 - 6 weeks.

Subspecies
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:

sacra (Gmelin, 1789) - India, Japan, Malyasia, New Zealand, Australia.
albolineata (Gray, GR, 1859) - New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands.

Similar Species
Dark morph with White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) which has white on the face and throat, is more slender and has a more upright posture, white morph with Great Egret (Ardea alba) which is larger, more slender with black legs, with a much longer neck and an all yellow or black bill, Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) which has a pure yellow to orange-red bill and black legs and Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) which is smaller, stockier and has a shorter bill.

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References
See References.

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9

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