The Chinese Egret is a rare all-white egret of East Asia's coasts, with only a few thousand birds left in the world. It breeds on small offshore islands in Korea, eastern China, and the Russian Far East and winters in Southeast Asia; it does not occur in the United States. It is also called Swinhoe's Egret.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A medium-sized white egret, about 24–27 in (60–68 cm) long. In breeding season it grows a long, shaggy crest and back , its bill turns bright orange-yellow, and the bare skin in front of the eye turns blue. The legs are black with yellow feet.
- Seasonal forms
- Outside the breeding season it loses its plumes, the bill becomes dusky with a paler base, and the legs turn yellow-green.
Look-alikes
In breeding season the Little Egret has a black bill, while the Chinese Egret's is orange-yellow. In winter the Little Egret usually keeps a mostly black bill and dark legs, while the Chinese Egret shows a yellowish bill base and yellow-green legs.
Why they get mixed upSame size and all-white plumage, and they feed side by side on mudflats.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- tidal mudflats
- estuaries
- offshore islands
- Range
- Breeds on small islands off Korea, eastern China, and the Russian Far East, and winters in Southeast Asia, mostly in the Philippines. It is not found in the United States.
- Seasonal presence
- A long-distance migrant between its northern breeding islands and Southeast Asian wintering grounds.
- Preferred conditions
- Feeds on shallow tidal flats, estuaries, and bays, and sometimes visits rice fields and salt pans.
Behavior
- Diet
- Mostly small fish and shrimp, plus crabs and insects.
- Activity
- An energetic hunter that dashes back and forth in shallow water with wings half-raised, stabbing at prey as the tide goes out.
Life cycle
- Nest
- Nests in colonies on offshore islands, on rocks, bushes, or low plants, often alongside other herons.
- Clutch size
- Usually 3–4 eggs
- Incubation
- 24–26 days, mostly by the female
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- VUVulnerableHigh risk of extinction in the wild
- Threats
- Loss of tidal flats and estuaries to coastal development is the biggest threat. In the 1800s it was hunted heavily for plumes used on hats.
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