Chinese/Great/Intermediate Egret? (1 Viewer)

Hi, I'm new here from Malaysia. I have hard time confirming the identity of Egret. I'm still new in birding.

The following photos (same egret) taken few days ago (October 2019) in Sarawak, Borneo. The area are freshwater river mouth. Often there are various mixed Egrets together (only just found out recently when trying to confirm its identity). However, I will stick to this one same Egret first. Often I get confused between Chinese/Great/Intermediate/Little Egrets.

This is same egret in various angle shots. Based on my own understanding, this could be Chinese/Great Egret. However, it could be Intermediate? Also it is in Breeding plumage right? One of the photo can clearly see its feet color.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you need any further information, please feel free let me know. Thanks.

Great and Intermediate a immediately excluded with that bill, but why you didn't consider Little Egret ?

Valéry Schollaert said:

Great and Intermediate a immediately excluded with that bill, but why you didn't consider Little Egret ?

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Now you mentioned it, I'm not so sure of it either. Does Little Egret bill can change color? I assume it is not little egret because it doesn't look small in size.

I have few more photos of other Egrets. Not to make things more confusing, I name the previous mentioned Egret #1. Its subsequent photos will be #1a, #1b, #1....

Egret #1
This is same Egret as posted earlier. I ruled out to be Little Egret based on its feet color and body size. Maybe I not actually seen Great and Intermediate size, I could be mistaken this is "big". Also its breeding plumage (previous pic), could Little Egret be like this during breeding season?

Also based on its feet, it is not yellow. So I assume it is not Little Egret.



Egret #2
Its bill doesn't look thin. So I assume it is not Little Egret. Also the neck on #2b looks quite long. Still not long enough to be possible Great/Intermediate Egret?

#2a


#2b

Egret #3
This one is at playground field grass. I assume it is Little Egret based on the upper line of the loral skin is more or less straight. However, its bill is yellow?? This is very confusing. So Little Egret's bill can be black or yellow? and the bill doesn't look thin or more pencil-shaped.



There are also some Bird-In-Flight photos captured during evening sunset time. And based its feet sticked way out of its tail, I assume it is not Little Egret. During sunset hour, can see many flying to West in flock.

The most useful features to look for when starting with identifying egrets are the bill colour. foot colour and size (although this isn't possible on photos).

Bird #1. The bill is (mostly) black and the feet are (mostly) yellow. This fits Little Egret. Chinese egret can be very similar, but would have more yellow/green on the legs, thicker legs and a thicker bill. Little Egret adults often retain the longer breeding feathers on the back and breast throughout the year (as on your bird). Note that the base of the lower mandible can be paler (usually pinkish) outside the breeding season, but most of the bill is black.

Bird #2. The bill is yellow and the feet are black. In the non-breeding season, this should indicate Great, Intermediate or Cattle Egret. For this bird, the bill is quite long and the neck is long and slim. This bird is a Great Egret. The fact it is wading in water is also common for Great Egret.

Bird #3. The bill is yellow (feet not visible), so should be Great/Intermediate/Cattle. The tip of the bill is darker, the bill is quite short/deep and the gape line isn't very long. This looks like an Intermediate Egret to me. The fact that it was on grassland also fits for Intermediate, which hunts in vegetation more often than Great.

johnallcock said:

The most useful features to look for when starting with identifying egrets are the bill colour. foot colour and size (although this isn't possible on photos).

Bird #1. The bill is (mostly) black and the feet are (mostly) yellow. This fits Little Egret. Chinese egret can be very similar, but would have more yellow/green on the legs, thicker legs and a thicker bill. Little Egret adults often retain the longer breeding feathers on the back and breast throughout the year (as on your bird). Note that the base of the lower mandible can be paler (usually pinkish) outside the breeding season, but most of the bill is black.

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John, in Borneo, the Little Egret subspecies is nigripes ('black foot'), which has black feet, except for the underside of the toes... However, you have covered that point by the use of 'mostly'!
MJB

johnallcock said:

The most useful features to look for when starting with identifying egrets are the bill colour. foot colour and size (although this isn't possible on photos).

Bird #1. The bill is (mostly) black and the feet are (mostly) yellow. This fits Little Egret. Chinese egret can be very similar, but would have more yellow/green on the legs, thicker legs and a thicker bill. Little Egret adults often retain the longer breeding feathers on the back and breast throughout the year (as on your bird). Note that the base of the lower mandible can be paler (usually pinkish) outside the breeding season, but most of the bill is black.

Bird #2. The bill is yellow and the feet are black. In the non-breeding season, this should indicate Great, Intermediate or Cattle Egret. For this bird, the bill is quite long and the neck is long and slim. This bird is a Great Egret. The fact it is wading in water is also common for Great Egret.

Bird #3. The bill is yellow (feet not visible), so should be Great/Intermediate/Cattle. The tip of the bill is darker, the bill is quite short/deep and the gape line isn't very long. This looks like an Intermediate Egret to me. The fact that it was on grassland also fits for Intermediate, which hunts in vegetation more often than Great.

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OMG !! oo You saved my day. That is so great explaination. No wonder I get so confused. I will pay more attention to what you have described in my next birding to that location. Waiting for low tide timing as during those time more activities around that area.

Many thanks.

MJB said:

John, in Borneo, the Little Egret subspecies is nigripes ('black foot'), which has black feet, except for the underside of the toes... However, you have covered that point by the use of 'mostly'!
MJB

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Deliberately phrased because I wasn't sure which taxon occurred there, and I thought the feet seemed not to have much yellow on these photos

Here are Egret #4 with more visible yellow feet. Based on my newly learnt information, this must be Little Egret, correct me if I am wrong.

Egret #4

dixonlau said:

Here are Egret #4 with more visible yellow feet. Based on my newly learnt information, this must be Little Egret, correct me if I am wrong.

Egret #4
View attachment 708702

View attachment 708703

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Agreed