Grey and white morphs
Photo © by T. J. Collins
Near Darwin, NT, Australia, 2 September 2006
Alternative name: Pacific Reef Egret, Eastern Reef Egret
- Egretta sacra
Identification
58–66 cm (22¾-26 in)
- A polymorphic species; two morphs, white or dark grey (the more common) overall plumages
- Patchy intermediate morphs are also known,
- Short yellow legs
- Brown bill
- Yellow eyes
Similar Species
White morph closely resembles Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes). In non-breeding plumage the two are probably indistinguishable in the field.
Distribution
Southern Korea and southern Japan south to Thailand, Burma, Malaysia and Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. Also breeds on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean and the Marquesas and Tuamotus in the Pacific.
Taxonomy
Photo © by Joseph Morlan
Kuto Bay, Isle of Pines, New Caledonia, 23 September 2019
The Pacific Reef Egret is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Little Egret.
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies[1]:
- E. s sacra:
- Coastal South East Asia, Malay Archipelago, Oceania and Australasia
- E. s albolineata: larger with darker bill.
- New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands
Habitat
Mostly coastal; rocky shores, coral reefs and off-shore islands, less commonly on mudflats and lagoons; sometimes foraging in paddyfields close to the sea.
Behaviour
Usually forages by stalking prey over intertidal rocks. Sometimes forages aerially stabbing at the water while hovering.
Diet
Their diet mostly consists of small crabs and fish, such as mudskippers. They will occasionally eat molluscs, insects and lizards.
Breeding
The clutch contains two or three pale greenish-blue eggs. Both adults incubate the eggs for about 28 days and care for them for around 35 days from hatching.
Movements
Mainly resident perhaps with limited post-breeding dispersal.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Martínez-Vilalta, A., Motis, A. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Pacific Reef-egret (Egretta sacra). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52696 on 25 March 2019).
- BirdForum Member observations
- Hancock, J. & J.Kushlan. 1984. The Herons Handbook. Harper & Row, New York.
- Marchant, S.; Higgins, P.J. (eds.) 1990. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds. Vol. 1, ratites to ducks. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
- Dutson, G. (2011) Birds of Melanesia, Christopher Helm, London.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pacific Reef Heron. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pacific_Reef_Heron
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
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