Malagasy Pond Heron

The Malagasy Pond Heron is a small and stocky heron of the same size as the Cattle Egret, with which it can be easily confused. In breeding plumage this heron is all white with long feathers adorning its whole head down to the back of the neck, forming a long crest. It has ornamental feathers on its chest and on the scapulars which give it a fluffier, more vaporous plumage. The beak is bright blue with a black tip. The lores are yellow-green and blend in with an orbital area of the same colour. The iris is yellow. The legs are pink. In eclipse plumage, the feathers on the whole head are beige, striped with brown. The back, scapulars and rump are brown, striped with white and stand out in flight against the white wings. The small coverts may appear slightly brown. The chest is light yellow, striped with brown. The flanks, lower belly, undertails and retrices stay white even in eclipse plumage. The beak is greenish-grey with a black tip and the legs are greenish. There is no sexual dimorphism in this species. The juvenile looks very much like a non-breeding adult, but the tips of the wings are brown, the beaks are tending towards orange and also have a black tip.