Yellow billed egret

Introduction: Yellow-billed egrets (Egretta intermedia) can be found in habitats associated with seasonally flooded marshes and grassland, saltpans and rivers, lakes and estuaries. Although they prefer shallow water, foraging in dry grassland close to water is common.

Distribution: Etosha National Park, Caprivi, Rundu, Epupa Falls, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, and scattered populations in central and northern regions of Namibia.

Diet: Hunts by day in shallow water or grass or from floating vegetation in deep waters, by wading and walking slowly, stabbing at prey along the way. Also forages in the wake of hippopotamus. Eats small fish, frogs, giant bullfrog, aquatic insects, grasshoppers and spiders.

Description: In between the great egret and little egret in size (hence the name intermedia). Wholly white plumage, with breeding adults having a red bill, tipped orange, bright red eyes with crimson upper legs, lower legs and feet black. The name yellow-billed, comes from non-breeding adults.

Breeding: A stick and reed nest, lined with leaves is placed above the water in a reedbed or a tree. Females lay 2 or 3 eggs between July and March and incubated for up to 27 days.

Size: 70g.

Weight: 450g.