Bird Album
Medium Egret
Ardea intermedia Wagler, 1829
62–70 cmLength459 gWeight
It is an all-white, medium-sized heron, smaller than Great Egret and slightly larger than Little Egret.
Busiest months: November–February · Most records: India, China, Thailand
Looks like Great Egret, Little Egret
How to identify
Field marks
- White overall
- Bill shorter and stouter than that of Great Egret; crown slightly rounded
- Yellow bill, turning black in the breeding season
- Black feet and toes
Male, female and young
The sexes have the same plumage.
Similar species
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: November–February · Most records: India, China, Thailand
Medium Egret has been recorded at 1,632 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 29 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Taipei – Tianliaoyang WetlandTaiwan (China)4,895 records
- Bharatpur – Keoladeo Ghana NPIndia3,494 records
- Saul Kere / Sowl KereIndia3,288 records
More places
- Changaram Wetlands – EzhupunnaIndia3,111 records
- Kanha NP – Mukki ZoneIndia2,617 records
- Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)2,518 records
- Sungei Buloh Wetland ReserveSingapore2,185 records
- Hoskote / Hosakote KereIndia2,012 records
- Aogu Wetland IBATaiwan (China)1,931 records
- Sultanpur National ParkIndia1,737 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The medium egret (Ardea intermedia), median egret, smaller egret or intermediate egret, is a medium-sized heron. Some taxonomists put the species in the genus Egretta or Mesophoyx. It is a resident breeder in southern and eastern Asia.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Medium Egret?
The Medium Egret is about 62–70 cm long and weighs around 459 g.
Where does the Medium Egret live?
Its breeding range: Palearctic, Oriental: India to Japan and Greater Sundas. It is most often recorded in India, China and Thailand.
When is the best time to see the Medium Egret?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, November and December (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Medium Egret endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Medium Egret as Least Concern.
What does the Medium Egret eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Medium Egret in?
It belongs to the family Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae), order Pelecaniformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 62–70 cm
- Weight
- 459 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 299 mm
- Tail
- 117 mm
- Bill
- 82 mm
- Tarsus
- 105 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Palearctic, Oriental: India to Japan and Greater Sundas
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Herons, Bitterns Ardeidae
- Genus
- Ardea
Other birds in the genus Ardea
White-necked HeronArdea pacifica
Great EgretArdea alba
Yellow-billed EgretArdea brachyrhyncha
Plumed EgretArdea plumifera
Western Cattle EgretArdea ibis
Eastern Cattle EgretArdea coromanda
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
Cocoi HeronArdea cocoi
Purple HeronArdea purpurea
Humblot's HeronArdea humbloti
White-bellied HeronArdea insignis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Rison Thumboor. ↗
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