The plumed egret (''Ardea plumifera'') is a species of heron native to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...
. Previously this species was regarded as a subspecies of the
intermediate egret (''Ardea intermedia'' ''
sensu lato'') alongside the Asian intermediate egret (''A. (i.) intermedia'') and the African
yellow-billed egret
The intermediate egret, median egret, smaller egret, or yellow-billed egret (''Ardea intermedia'') is a medium-sized heron. Some taxonomists put the species in the genus ''Egretta'' or ''Mesophoyx''. It is a resident breeder from east Africa ac ...
(''A. (i.) brachyrhyncha'').
Taxonomy
The plumed egret was first formally described as ''Herodias plumiferus'' by the English
ornithologist
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...
John Gould with its
type locality given as
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.
This taxon has been regarded as a subspecies of the intermediate egret (''Ardea intermedia'') but on 26 September 2023 the
International Ornithological Congress
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International may also refer to:
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* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
recognised the three subspecies of ''A. intermedia'' as valid species.
Description
The plumed egret is a medium-sized heron, in length with an all white plumage. In breeding plumage it develops long white frilly plumes from its breast and shoulders. In addition, the bill changes colour to red or orange with green
lores and the tibia is red and the tarsus is black. Outside the breeding season the bill is yellow-orange with yellow lores and the legs are black.
Distribution and habitat
The plumed egret is found in Australasia and breeds in eastern Indonesia,
Timor-Leste
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
and Australia,
with
vagrants occurring in New Zealand and the Solomon Islands.
This species is found in the shallow water at the edges of freshwater wetlands and the intertidal zone.
[
]
Biology
The plumed egret is diurnal, hunting in shallow water for fish, frogs, aquatic insects and crustaceans. In Australia this species breeds in late summer forming colonies in trees. They lay 3-5 pale bluish-green eggs which are incubated by the male and the female and take 24–27 days to hatch. The young fledge in 5 or 6 weeks.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q27604541, from2=Q31873854
Ardea (genus)
Taxa named by John Gould