The Plumed Egret is a medium sized white egret found across Australia, including New South Wales, where it inhabits wetlands, flooded grasslands, rivers and agricultural areas.
It is similar in appearance to other white egrets but is intermediate in size, with a slender neck, dark legs and a yellow bill that darkens during breeding season. During breeding, adults develop fine ornamental plumes on the chest and back, which give the species its name.
Feeding mainly on insects, frogs and small fish, the Plumed Egret is often seen foraging quietly in shallow water or following livestock through paddocks.
Photographed in Shortland Wetlands, NSW