Order - Pelecaniformes
Family - Ardeidae (Herons)
Family - Ardeidae (Herons)
Medium Egret
Ardea intermedia
中白鹭 (zhōng bái-lù)

Malay : Bangau Sederhana Asia
Japanese : チュウサギ (chū-sagi)
Kanji 日語漢字 : 中鷺
Extent of Occurrence (resident/breeding) : 30,300,000km²
Extent of Occurrence (resident/breeding) : 8,480,000km²
Migratory Status : Not a Migrant
Breeding Endemic : No
Extent of Occurrence (resident/breeding) : 30,300,000km²
Extent of Occurrence (resident/breeding) : 8,480,000km²
Migratory Status : Not a Migrant
Breeding Endemic : No

Taxonomy update for 2023
Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia is split into Plumed Egret (Ardea plumifera),
Yellow-billed Egret (Ardea brachyrhyncha), and Medium Egret (Ardea intermedia).
This widespread species complex is similar in size and structure, with size and proportions intermediate between two other egrets that are yellow-billed in immature
and winter plumages: Great Egret Ardea alba and Western/Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis/coromandus. However, they are all strikingly different in breeding condition, with the Asian birds breaking up moderate similarities between African
and Australasian birds.
Medium Egrets (in Asia) show an all black bill and yellowish lores
(recalling Snowy Egret from the Americas or nigripes Little Egret
from Australia, but with a thicker and blunter bill).
Yellow-billed Egrets (in Africa) have orange bills with greenish lores that become vibrant red orange (with a paler orange tip) with lime green lores in high condition.
Plumed Egrets (in Australia) closely resemble the breeding condition of Yellow-billed Egret, with subtle differences in loral color; fortunately these two taxa are the most distant and unlikely to overlap. These breeding condition differences, and the sharp changeover between taxa, was enough to justify a split that BirdLife International put
in place several years ago.
Yellow-billed Egret (Ardea brachyrhyncha), and Medium Egret (Ardea intermedia).
This widespread species complex is similar in size and structure, with size and proportions intermediate between two other egrets that are yellow-billed in immature
and winter plumages: Great Egret Ardea alba and Western/Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis/coromandus. However, they are all strikingly different in breeding condition, with the Asian birds breaking up moderate similarities between African
and Australasian birds.
Medium Egrets (in Asia) show an all black bill and yellowish lores
(recalling Snowy Egret from the Americas or nigripes Little Egret
from Australia, but with a thicker and blunter bill).
Yellow-billed Egrets (in Africa) have orange bills with greenish lores that become vibrant red orange (with a paler orange tip) with lime green lores in high condition.
Plumed Egrets (in Australia) closely resemble the breeding condition of Yellow-billed Egret, with subtle differences in loral color; fortunately these two taxa are the most distant and unlikely to overlap. These breeding condition differences, and the sharp changeover between taxa, was enough to justify a split that BirdLife International put
in place several years ago.
- Yellow-billed Egret (Ardea brachyrhyncha) RANGE: Sub-Saharan Africa
- Medium Egret (Ardea intermedia) RANGE: South and Southeast Asia
- Plumed Egret (Ardea plumifera) RANGE: Australasia
Size : 56–72 cm; 400–500 g; Wingspan 105–115 cm
Subspecies and Distribution
- Monotypic. (Wagler, JG 1829, Java)– Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka east through south-central and southeast China to southern Korea and southern Japan, and south through Southeast Asia to Greater Sundas. Winters south to Philippines, Malay Peninsula, and Indonesia east apparently to Moluccas. Occurrence as breeder in northern Sulawesi and as non-breeder in Moluccas and eastern Lesser Sundas requires clarification.



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