Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) [XC840667]
by id from Chong Ming Dong Tan NR, China (call)
Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) [XC460203]
by FREDERIC Lionel from Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
November - January in south and east, March - May in north.
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Nest
An almost flat structure composed of thin sticks and twigs, in some instances with leaves attached, placed in the branches of a tree growing in or near water. In colonies, often in association with other water-birds.
Eggs (Guide)
3 - 6; pale blue-green; oval; about 46 x 35 mm. Incubation: about 24 - 27 days; by both sexes.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 5 - 6 weeks.
Subspecies
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
intermedia (Wagler, 1829) - South-eastern Asia and western Indonesia north to Japan.
brachyrhyncha (Brehm, AE, 1854) - Africa south of Sahara. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Yellow-billed Egret (Ardea brachyrhyncha).
plumifera (Gould, 1848) - Eastern Indonesia to New Guinea and Australia. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Plumed Egret (Ardea plumifera).
Similar Species
Great Egret (Ardea alba) which is larger and has a larger head-body ratio (1.5 compared with about 1 times), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) which is smaller, has a fine black bill, and is quick and flighty in its movements, Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) which is smaller, stockier and has a stout bill and yellow-grey legs and white morph of Eastern Reef Egret (Egretta sacra) which has a heavier bill with horn-colored upper madible, shorter, yellow-green legs, and a shorter neck and crouched posture.
Compare Images
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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BirdLife International Species Factsheet