FAMILY NAME: Ardeidae SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ardea intermedia SUBSPECIES: none
SIZE: 55 to 70cm. (22 to 28") tip to tail.
LOCATION: Found over almost the entire continent of Australia, except in the very arid centre.
BREEDING: Breeding season is not well defined, but most commonly from March to May and October to January. Nesting is done in colonies, and the nest is an untidy platform of sticks on tree branches. The parents pair bond only for the breeding season.
GENERAL: They are white birds, with long legs and neck. The upper legs are red, while the lower leg is black. The bare skin at the lores is yellow outside breeding season, and becomes turquoise during breeding. Large plumes form on the breast and the shoulders, during breeding. The bill is orange/yellow. They inhabit wetland shallows, and intertidal mudflats.
References:
Michael Morecombe. Field Guide to Australian Birds, Complete Compact Edtion.
Ken Simpson - Nicholas Day. The Birds of Australia.
M. Blakers - S. J. J. F. Davies - P. N. Reilly. The Atlas of Australian Birds.
Birds in Backyards. www.birdsinbackyards.net
