Chinese Egret

The snow egret in Olango Archipelago

The snow egret ( Egretta eulophotes ), also called China Little Egret, is a rare medium-sized heron from South East Asia. Sometimes this name is also used for the Snowy Egret (Egretta thula ) is used. But it is more common for the China egrets.

Description

This 68 cm large bird has a snow-white plumage with several long white hood springs. During the mating season lengthened white plumes form on the chest and back. At the neck the feathers are short and shaggy. The facial skin is bluish. The beak is yellow. The legs are black and the feet greenish yellow.

Behavior and occurrence

The snow heron nests on offshore islands of Russia, China, North Korea and South Korea. Previously he was also in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It is a migratory bird spends the winter months in South East Asia. Main wintering areas are the regions around the islands of Cebu, Bohol and Samar in the Philippines and in the Malaysian provinces of Sarawak and Selangor in Borneo.

Unlike jewelry or egrets snow heron lives in the Wadden Sea. It feeds on crustaceans, marine worms and small fish. The mating and breeding season is from late April to early June. It will set up to three cobalt blue eggs in a nest of dry grass on the ground. The incubation period lasts 30 to 40 days. Subsequently, the young birds are cared for until fledging 40 days from the parents.

Endangering

At the beginning of the 20th century this species was mercilessly hunted for their beautiful plumes, so that there were only about 500 copies in the 1960s. Today the stock is about 3400 birds that are endangered in Korea mainly due to the pollution of the Han River. Furthermore, the type is very sensitive to disturbance during the breeding season. So it happened that the birds in Shin -Do, South Korea, during the 1990s left their breeding grounds due to interference from the photographer. In Liaoning, China, they are at risk from hunters and egg collectors.