a wee snack - buckley's hole - intermediate egret

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Intermediate Egret
Scientific Name: Ardea intermedia
Description: The plumage of the Intermediate Egret is wholly white. During the breeding season, adults have long filamentous plumes emerging from the scapulars, and dense plumes from the breast. The bare parts vary with the stage of the breeding cycle: during courtship the bill is deep pink to bright red with a yellow tip and green base, the lores are bright green, the eyes red and the legs ruby red; when laying, the bill is dull red, the lores are dull, pale green, and the eye is yellow. By the time of hatching, the bill is dull orange-yellow, the lores are yellow or green-yellow, the eye is yellow and the upper portion of the leg yellow with the lower portion grey-black. During non-breeding season, they lose their plumes, the bill turns orange-yellow, the lores are green-yellow or yellow, the eyes are horn-coloured and the upper portions of the legs vary, with the lower portion black. Juveniles appear like non-breeding adults.
Similar Species: The Intermediate Egret is similar to Australia's other all-white egrets. The Little Egret is distinguished by its long, black bill. The Great Egret is distinguished by its proportionally longer neck and flat-headed appearance and has a distinct gape that extends well behind the eye. Cattle Egrets are much shorter and dumpier with a stouter bill.
Location: Within Australia, the Intermediate Egret can be found at wetlands throughout the northern third of the continent as well as the eastern third. They are generally absent from Tasmania.
Habitat: Mostly a denizen of the shallows in terrestrial wetlands, the Intermediate Egret prefers freshwater swamps, billabongs, floodplains and wet grasslands with dense aquatic vegetation, and is only occasionally seen in estuarine or intertidal habitats.
Feeding: Aquatic animals, principally fish and frogs, are the main food of the Intermediate Egret. They are usually hunted by standing and waiting, then stabbing at the prey with its dagger-like beak.
Breeding: Intermediate Egrets build a shallow platform of interwoven sticks, placed on a horizontal branch in a tree that is usually standing in water. They generally lay three or four pale-green eggs which are incubated by both sexes. The nestlings are fed by both parents, who regurgitate food, either into the nest or directly into the beak of the young bird.
(Source: birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/intermediate-egret)

© Chris Burns 2019
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This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.

Taken in: Australia / Queensland / Bongaree (show map)

Taken on: January 16, 2019

Tags:

Intermediate egret

Ardea intermedia

Australian bird

fauna

Australian fauna

water bird

wader

nature

Sandy Camp Road Wetlands

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Nikon D500

Nikon 200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6 VR

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Camera: Nikon D500, f/10.0, 1/400 sec, 500mm (=750mm), ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D500
Lens:	200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6
Aperture:	f/10.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/400)
Focal Length:	500mm (35mm equivalent: 750mm)
ISO:	400
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 (Windows)
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