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SPECIES PROFILE
Medium Egret (Ardea intermedia)
Ardea
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Indian subcontinent southeast Asia
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Wetlands marshes rice fields
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Ciconiiformes
FAMILY
Ardeidae
GENUS
Ardea
📋 Description
SIZE
65-72 cm long 400-600 g
COLORATION
White with yellow bill black legs
ADAPTATIONS
Slender neck for wading agile foraging
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Wetlands marshes rice fields
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Indian subcontinent southeast Asia
REPRODUCTION
Lays 3-5 eggs in tree or reed nests incubated 22-25 days
DIET DETAILS
Fish crustaceans insects
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Wetland drainage pollution
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Slender Waders: Medium Egrets stalk with 500-gram bodies eating 100 grams of fish daily in Chilika's wetlands. Their slender necks are distinctive.
2
Colonial Nesters: These egrets cover 3000 sq km in Odisha's marshes nesting in reeds. Pollution threatens their feeding grounds.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Chilika Lake in Odisha
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
October-March Dry season concentrates prey for spotting egrets
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Watch medium egrets wading in shallow wetlands
