Intermediate Egret, Mesophoyx intermedia, displaying feathers, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, India
This species, as its scientific name implies, is intermediate in size between the great egret and smaller white egrets like the little egret and cattle egret, though nearer to little than great. It is about 56–72 cm (22–28 in) long with a 105–115 cm (41–45 in) wingspan and weighs c. 400 g (14 oz), with all-white plumage, generally dark legs and a thickish yellow bill. Breeding birds may have a reddish or black bill, yellow gape skin, loose filamentous plumes on their breast and back, and dull yellow or pink on their upper legs. The sexes are similar. Plume hunting is the hunting of wild birds to harvest their feathers, especially the more decorative plumes which were sold for use as ornamentation, such as aigrettes in millinery. The movement against the plume trade in the United Kingdom was pioneered by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The plume trade was at its height in the late 19th and was brought to an end in the early 20th century.
Size: 3538px × 5182px
Location: Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India
Photo credit: © Dominic Robinson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: adult, animal, animals, avifauna, beak, bharatpur, bird, birds, breeding, conservation, display, displaying, egret, egrets, feather, feathers, filamentous, history, india, intermedia, intermediate, mesophoyx, national, natural, nature, park, plumage, plume, plumes, rajasthan, reserve, rspb, stabbing, trade, victorian, wild, wildlife
