Intermediate Egret

The medium egret, also called the intermediate egret, is a medium-sized heron that breeds as a resident in southern and eastern Asia. It is intermediate in size between the great egret and the smaller white egrets, though nearer to the little egret: about 56 to 72 cm long with a wingspan of 105 to 115 cm, weighing about 400 g, with all-white plumage (Wikipedia, general species account). The Asian form has a black bill in breeding plumage, unlike the yellow-billed egret of Africa and the plumed egret of eastern Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. (Wikipedia, general species account).

The medium egret stalks its prey methodically in shallow coastal or fresh water, including flooded fields. 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. 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. (Wikipedia, general species account).