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Ardea alba modesta
The Eastern Great Egret (Ardea alba modesta) is a white heron of the genus Ardea, is considered a subspecies of the Great Egre. Measuring 83–103 cm (33–41 in) in length and weighing 0.7–1.2 kg (1.5–2.6 lb), the Eastern Great Egret is a large heron with all-white plumage. Its bill is yellow in the breeding season and black at other times, and its long legs are red or black.
The Eastern Great Egret has a wide distribution throughout Asia and Oceania, with breeding populations in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, China, Korea, north-eastern Russia, Japan, Indochina, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Australia, and New Zealand.
The diet includes vertebrates such as fish, frogs, small reptiles, small birds and rodents, and invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans, and molluscs. The Eastern Great Egret hunts by wading or standing still in shallow water and "spearing" prey with its bill.
Spotted on Feb 8, 2012
Submitted on Feb 8, 2012
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