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5

Western Reef Heron

(Egretta gularis)
Alternate name(s): "Western Reef Egret"; race "schistacea": "Indian Reef Heron"
Size: 55-65 cm; wing span 85-105 cm
Weight: 300-700 g

Similar
species

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

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Western Reef Heron at Wikipedia .

Click here for classification information

Range, habitat

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "schistacea"

White morphology

ADULT

Sex unknown

NON-BREEDING

Frontal view of a white-morphology Western Reef Heron, front right (note the nuchal plumes), and a number of grey-morphology Western Reef Herons working over a shallow puddle
[Qurm, December 2009]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a mottled Western Reef Heron; the mottling suggests that this may be a juvenile bird
[Qurm, December 2009]

Grey morphology

ADULT

Sex unknown

NON-BREEDING

Frontal view of a grey-morphology Western Reef Heron (note the white chin patch giving the species its name "gularis"), with a white-morphology bird in the background
[Qurm, December 2009]

Lateral view of a grey-morphology Western Reef Heron
[Qurm, December 2009]

Lateral view of a grey-morphology Western Reef Heron
[Qurm, December 2009]

Grey-morphology Western Reef Heron (left) and Grey Heron (right) next to each other, giving a good impression of the relative sizes of both species
[Qurm, December 2009]

Food, Diet

All egrets and herons prey on aquatic creatures in fresh water or estuaries (fish, frogs, snakes or crustaceans).

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.

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