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27 days. The eggs hatch asynchronously, after hatching the adults brood the semialtricial young for 12 days, defending the nests from aerial predators during both incubation and brooding, they crouch over the nest and raise their plumes and point their bill towards the threat. The parents regurgitate the food to feed the young, initially onto the floor of the nest but later the chick takes the food from the parent's mouth. There may be competition for food within the brood. Pinfeathers may appear on the chicks as early as 4 days old and the young are able to leave the nest at 24 days old, although they return to be fed. Fledging occurs at around 40 days old and they leave the colony after 70 days. In Africa and
Australia they are reported to be quite successful breeders with 96% and 88% of nests fledging at least a single chick. Intermediate egret populations are more successful in wet years than in dry years.
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437:, though nearer to little than great. It is about 56–72 cm (22–28 in) long with a 105–115 cm (41–45 in) wingspan and weighs c. 400 g (14 oz), with all-white plumage, generally dark legs and a thickish yellow bill. Breeding birds may have a reddish or black bill, greenish yellow
462:
has a noticeable kink near the middle of its neck, and the top of its longer bill nearly aligns with the flat top of its head. Close up, great egret's gape line extends behind the eye, while the intermediate's is less pointed and ends below the eye. The intermediate tends to stalk upright with neck
479:
with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. The typical clutch size is 2 or 3 eggs but there can be as many as 6 eggs in a clutch, the colour of the eggs is pale green, with a smooth, slightly pitted shell. Both parents incubate the eggs and they hatch after between 24 and
510:
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The medium egret has non-breeding colours which are similar to other white egrets, but the intermediate is smaller, with neck length a little less than body length, a slightly domed head, and a shorter, thicker bill. The
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and face. A further difference between this species and the "yellow-billed" species is that the intermediate egret has black at the top of the legs compared to reddish in the yellow-billed egret.
491:
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The medium egret stalks its prey methodically in shallow coastal or fresh water, including flooded fields. It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans and insects. It often nests in
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The split of intermediate egret into 3 species was accepted by the IOC on 26 September 2023, this form was given the common name medium egret by the IOC.
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have yellow-soled feet and black bills. They often run after fish in shallow water. Breeding birds have long nuptial plumes on the back of their heads.
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skin, loose filamentous plumes on their breast and back, and dull yellow or pink on their upper legs (regional variations). The sexes are similar.
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Martínez-Vilalta, A.; Motis, A.; Kirwan, G.M. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.).
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extended forward. The great is more patient, often adopting a sideways-leaning "one-eyed" stance.
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705:(Eleventh revised ed.). Bombay: Bombay Natural History Society/Oxford University Press.
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The medium egret, as its scientific name implies, is intermediate in size between the
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There were three recognised subspecies, and these are sometimes raised in to species:
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366:"intermediate egret" - Asia from the Russian Far East to Japan to India and the
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Photo showing the size difference in great, medium and little egrets, India
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690:. Vol. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.
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313:. It is a resident breeder in southern and eastern Asia.
736:. Heron Conservation The IUCN-SCC Heron Specialist Group
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Sketch comparing gapes of intermediate and great egrets
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by having a black bill when in breeding plumage, while
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del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J., eds. (1992).
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333:, while others place it with the smaller egrets in
563:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22727668A181757896.en
663:"IOC World Bird List v13.2 Proposed Splits/Lumps"
321:Some authorities classify the intermediate egret
303:. Some taxonomists put the species in the genus
8:
795:
357:"yellow-billed egret" - sub-Saharan Africa
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31:
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626:Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive
594:. International Ornithological Congress
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1182:f7b5b56e-87ae-4fee-868c-41556eb0eec0
993:cd4056ee-7854-4d57-8d23-21361a7fc16d
724:
722:
383:"plumed egret" - eastern Indonesia,
1231:IUCN Red List least concern species
789:The Atlas of Southern African Birds
549:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
769:by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp,
687:Handbook of the Birds of the World
429:and smaller white egrets like the
25:
1266:Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler
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490:
89:
592:IOC World Bird List version 8.2
538:BirdLife International (2020).
406:has a yellow-and-pink bill and
756:by Barlow, Wacher and Disley,
241: Present during migration
1:
445:Differences from other egrets
628:. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
1256:Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa
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556:: e.T22727668A181757896.
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86:Scientific classification
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703:The Book of Indian Birds
665:. IOC. 26 September 2023
1261:Birds described in 1827
588:"Storks, ibis, herons"
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229: Year-round range
634:10.2173/bow.integr.01
618:"Intermediate Egret (
497:Descending to perch,
452:
408:A. (i.) brachyrhyncha
235: Wintering range
730:"Intermediate Egret
396:A.(i.) brachyrhyncha
299:, is a medium-sized
257:Mesophoyx intermedia
223: Breeding range
1251:Birds of Indomalaya
754:Birds of The Gambia
348:A. i. brachyrhyncha
56:Conservation status
49:In Thrissur, India
1246:Birds of East Asia
1097:intermediate-egret
1092:BirdLife-Australia
1044:Egretta intermedia
455:
410:has much yellower
297:intermediate egret
265:Egretta intermedia
177:A. intermedia
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801:Taxon identifiers
400:A. (i.) plumifera
392:A.(i.) intermedia
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16:(Redirected from
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1172:plumed-egret
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738:. Retrieved
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669:27 September
667:. Retrieved
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645:. Retrieved
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499:Kabini River
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435:cattle egret
431:little egret
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18:Median egret
939:iNaturalist
833:Wikispecies
647:25 December
598:25 December
569:19 November
460:great egret
427:great egret
421:Description
325:in its own
1225:Categories
1027:Xeno-canto
522:References
385:New Guinea
824:Q27074615
734:(Wagler)"
642:240970149
471:Behaviour
331:Mesophoyx
327:monotypic
311:Mesophoyx
171:Species:
109:Kingdom:
103:Eukaryota
1149:11252821
1053:Wikidata
970:22727668
957:10829742
879:22727668
874:BirdLife
818:Wikidata
477:colonies
317:Taxonomy
248:Synonyms
153:Ardeidae
149:Family:
123:Chordata
119:Phylum:
113:Animalia
99:Domain:
76:IUCN 3.1
1136:2480880
1079:Avibase
1059:Q218821
931:4352345
861:Avibase
484:Gallery
336:Egretta
329:genus,
306:Egretta
159:Genus:
139:Order:
129:Class:
74: (
1208:212662
1195:212662
1179:NZOR:
1169:NZBO:
1162:174823
1118:EURING
1072:integr
1019:225956
990:NZOR:
983:585464
944:558445
918:integr
905:integr
892:747818
773:
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740:11 May
709:
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381:, 1848
355:, 1854
239:
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204:, 1829
202:Wagler
1203:WoRMS
1144:IRMNG
1110:6DYRD
1014:WoRMS
1006:73468
952:IRMNG
913:eBird
638:S2CID
503:India
412:lores
379:Gould
353:Brehm
301:heron
164:Ardea
1190:OBIS
1157:ITIS
1131:GBIF
1123:1200
978:NCBI
965:IUCN
926:GBIF
887:BOLD
771:ISBN
758:ISBN
742:2022
707:ISBN
671:2023
649:2018
600:2018
571:2021
554:2020
439:gape
433:and
398:and
277:The
133:Aves
1105:CoL
1068:ABA
900:BOW
848:AFD
630:doi
558:doi
309:or
295:or
287:),
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636:.
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622:)"
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579:^
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530:^
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339:.
291:,
744:.
715:.
673:.
651:.
632::
602:.
573:.
560::
544:"
540:"
281:(
78:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
