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5

Intermediate Egret (Ardea [Mesophoyx] intermedia) Alternate name(s): "Plumed Egret", "White Crane*", "Median Egret", "Smaller Egret", "Yellow-billed Egret" Size: 55-70 cm; wing span 1.05-1.2 m Weight: 360-405 g

Australia: Family Group 5 Family Group 5 Table Great Egret Intermediate Egret Cattle Egret Little Egret Eastern Reef Egret Great-billed Heron White-faced Heron White-necked Heron Pied Heron Rufous Night Heron Striated Heron Black Bittern Australian Little Bittern Australasian Bittern Royal Spoonbill Yellow-billed Spoonbill Australian White Ibis Straw-necked Ibis Glossy Ibis Black-necked Stork Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Intermediate Egrets are the medium-size egrets. Their plumage is all-white. During the breeding season they grow long scapular and frontal plumes that are absent in eclipse. The straight bill, which is yellow in eclipse, turns bright orange, with a turquoise base, in the breeding season. The irises are yellow; the legs are orange-yellow at top and darken to near-black towards the feet.

Taxonomy, classification See Intermediate Egret at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Intermediate Egret is available HERE . Intermediate Egrets have a range spanning from South and East Africa, via parts of Arabia and the Indian subcontinent, towards far-eastern Asia, South-east Asia and Australia and Oceania. In Australia, Intermediate Egrets, nominate race "intermedia", inhabit basically the North and the East of the continent and Tasmania. They are not found in the arid interior of WA, the central and south-western NT and western SA. There are no Intermediate Egrets along the South coast to the West of Eyre peninsula either. In the semi-arid interior they are found mostly after substantial rainfall events. Intermediate Egrets are found in the shallows of various kinds of freshwater wetlands such as freshwater lakes, rivers and ephemeral wetlands, as well as intertidal mudflats.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "intermedia" We have seen Intermediate Egrets, race "intermedia", in the Narrabri area, e.g. at Narrabri Lake and in other parts of inland NSW, wherever there is water, swamp or marshland. Intermediate Egrets, race "intermedia", are also sighted regularly on trips to the East of the Great Dividing Range, e.g. in the area from Armidale to Dorrigo and the Clarence River downs (Iluka), NSW. In November 2023, M. Eaton found Intermediate Egrets, race "intermedia", breeding at Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD. We have also found Intermediate Egrets, race "intermedia", in various locations in the Northern Territory in August 2014, e.g. at Fogg Dam CR. There they were also spotted by P. Brown in May 2018. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours spotted an Intermediate Egrets, race "intermedia", at Mareeba Wetlands, QLD, in August 2020.

Photos

Race "intermedia"

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ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage and nuptial flush
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2010]

The same bird as shown above, slightly different posture
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2010]

Close-up lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Botanic Gardens, Gold Coast, QLD, October 2019]

Intermediate Egret seen hunting in a dried-up part of a lake
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2011]

Near-frontal view of an Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage spreading its wings (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, March 2019]

Size comparison between an Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage and a male Australian Little Bittern
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, March 2019]

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in transitional plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, July 2017]

Near-dorsal view of an Intermediate Egret starting to moult into its breeding plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2009]

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in partial breeding plumage in low hovering flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, May 2018]

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in partial breeding plumage in low hovering flight (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, May 2018]

Near-lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in partial breeding plumage banking to land (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, May 2018]

NON-BREEDING

Close-up lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in non-breeding plumage with a deformation at the base of its bill
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba Wetlands, QLD, August 2020]

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in non-breeding plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Near-dorsal view of an Intermediate Egret in non-breeding plumage
[Inverell, NSW, January 2017]

Dorsal view of an Intermediate Egret in non-breeding plumage
[Inverell, NSW, January 2017]

Dorsal view of an Intermediate Egret in non-breeding plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2012]

Near-frontal view of an Intermediate Egret in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Macquarie Marshes NR, NSW, May 2021]

Near-frontal view of an Intermediate Egret in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Macquarie Marshes NR, NSW, May 2021]

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Macquarie Marshes NR, NSW, May 2021]

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in non-breeding plumage in flight, with fully stretched neck
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2011]

The same Intermediate Egret as shown above, now with full flaps for landing
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2011]

Intermediate Egret in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2010]

Here a direct comparison of an Intermediate Egret in flight (back right) with a Great Egret in the foreground; the main distinction between the two is in the lores, which extend to behind the eye for the Great Egret, but not for the Intermediate Egret
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]

This photo allows a comparison of the relative sizes of a Cattle Egret (centre), a Great Egret (left) and an Intermediate Egret (right); all of them are searching for nesting material under a tree after a violent storm
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Most of the birds shown here will probably be Intermediate Egrets; this photo gives an impression of how many egrets a single lake such as Narrabri Lake can support in a breeding season; obviously this flock is only part of the local population
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2011]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a (probably young) Intermediate Egret
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2012]

Near-dorsal view of a (probably young) Intermediate Egret
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2012]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Oct - Jan

Eggs: 3 - 4

Incubation period: 25 days

Fledging age: 63 - 70 days

The breeding season depends significantly on geographical latitude. In the tropical north Intermediate Egrets breed Dec - Mar. Given the right conditions, Intermediate Egrets can breed any time of the year. They breed in colonies, together with other aquatic birds.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Sticks, lined with leaves

Height above ground: 5 - 20 m

Seen nesting, together with other aquatic birds, along the shores of Narrabri Lake during the breeding season of 2008 and subsequent years.

Pair of Intermediate Egrets, both in breeding plumage with nuptial flush, adding a stick to their nest - usually, the division of labour in pairs of egrets is that the male (presumably the bird at upper right) brings the sticks, with which the female (on the left) builds the nest
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD, November 2023]

Lateral view of an Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage with nuptial flush on its nest; note the red base of the bill, the turquoise orbital skin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Arkarra Lagoons, Hervey Bay, QLD, November 2023]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 47 x 34 mm

Colour: Light blue

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Partly migratory/dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/flock

We have observed an Intermediate Egret use a hunting technique that we had previously only seen a Black-necked Stork employ.

Intermediate Egret standing on a lily pad
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Intermediate Egret using its wing to frighten fish in the water...
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

... before pouncing on its prey; note how the lily pad provides a good base for the Intermediate Egret to push off from
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Food, Diet

All egrets and herons prey on aquatic creatures in fresh water or estuaries (fish, frogs, snakes or crustaceans). Intermediate Egrets will take any of those.

Intermediate Egrets with a frog it has just caught high up in a tree standing on the edge of Narrabri Lake
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2012]

Intermediate Egret trying unsuccessfully to swallow a snake
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2010]

This Intermediate Egret has caught a fish (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

We will try to replace this poor recording with a better one as soon as possible.

integrt_20140817.m4a

intermedia (Darwin, NT)

Annoyed

© MD

More Intermediate Egret sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Wed, 22 November 2023, 2:44 +00:00