Intermediate Egret (in colony)

Description:

These Egrets appear to be juvenile, and I'm fairly certain they're Inermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia) http://www.ozanimals.com/Bird/Intermedia... but if they're not, then they are Great Egret (Ardea alba). http://www.ozanimals.com/Bird/Great-Egre... Both species are present in the area where these photos were taken. The Intermediate Egret is intermediate in size between the Little Egret and the Great Egret. It is white with yellow bill and grey legs. In the breeding season the bill turns reddish and it develops plumes on back and chest. Males and females are similar in appearance. They nest in colonies, in trees, in the habitats listed below.

Habitat:

Wetlands, swamps, flooded grassland, shallow lakes and streams.

Notes:

The wetlands in these photos are actually man-made and quite extensive, and just happen to be in the middle of an industrial estate - Metroplex On Gateway. I frequent this complex and never in my wildest dreams would have thought these wetlands were man-made. There are all sorts of wildlife species here, including dozens of bird species, reptiles like snakes and lizards, turtles, large hares, various fish species, a multitude of insects and the like, not to mention the wide variety of plant species. It's an incredibly rich area for flora and fauna.