What to Know About the Intermediate Egret in Uganda?

The Intermediate Egret in Uganda is one of the African Uganda Birds seen during Uganda Birding Watching Tours.

The intermediate or Yellow-billed Egret is a medium-sized Heron which derives its name from the size between the Little Egret and the Great Egret. Both the adult female and male bare white layer of feathers on the body and all year round. During the breeding period, the adult intermediate Egret back shows long filamentous feathers emerging and extending beyond the tail and the breast is densely feathered or plumed.

In the breeding Intermediate Egret, the long billturns reddish with an orange tipand the upper legs are seen pinkish together with green Lores. However, in the non-breeding species, the Intermediate Egret bares lores that are greenish-yellow in colour including the short white feathers together with a yellow bill and upper legs

This bird species is dissimilar in size from the Great Egret. It is smaller than the Great egret and has a shorter neck. Intermediate Egret has a slightly dome-shaped head with a shorter and thicker bill together with the bare facial skin ending below the eye. It has brownish-black feet and lower legs together with pale yellowish eyes.

 Behaviour of Intermediate Egret

Intermediate Egret compiles in groups of about 15 to 20 bird species although sometimes it is often alone feeding in shallow water like other Ardeidae. The species feeds on crustaceans, insects and small fish and stalks the prey by the slow movements it makes in water, grass and mud. A time it stands motionless at the shores of water and waits for the prey to come close where it jabs it with its pointed bill hence swallowing the whole prey.

Breeding is always done in colonies baring several hundreds of nests which are constructed by both the adult male and female Intermediate Egret. While at the nest site, the adult male arrives first and starts the collection of the nest materials as it tries to attract the female and also defending the territory against other male species.

Afterwards, the male Intermediate Egret will display its breeding layer of feathers together with the colourful bare parts and if the female gets attracted, the aggressive behaviour will continue as the bill clattering and mutual preening takes place hence both adults building the nest for copulation process to occur.

 The reproduction and breeding process of Intermediate Egret

Within the Intermediate Egrets, the breeding season varies depending on the locality. During the reproduction process, female normally lays 2 to 4 eggs on average and they are incubated by both the male and female lasting about 24 to 27 days. The chicks are also fed by both parents with regurgitation and also covered in white down. Chicks do develop wing feathers that are large and strong enough to cause flight at about 35 days after hatching process has occurred.

 Habitat

This bird species stays in the different habitats including wetlands, rice fields, freshwater marshes, brackish and saltwater lakes, flooded fields, pools alongside freshwater areas and rivers. It also dwells in dense emergent aquatic vegetation and also within sea-levels that rise to 1000 to 1400 meters. Intermediate Egret resides in different parts of Africa, South of Sahara and across tropical southern Asia and all the way to Australia.

It is a quiet bird but utters a kind of buzzy call in the period of displays and while at flight it produces a deep kroa-kr.