Rare but regular
winter migrant to the coastal lagoons, mangroves, estuaries and shores, mainly
in the north. There is a 19th century record of breeding of Western
Reef Egret near Chilaw in May and June by Layard. But since then no such
records and now it is considered as exclusively a winter visitor to the country.
Western Reef Egret occurs as two color morphs: dark morph with dark ashy grey plumage
and pale morph with pure white plumage [Closely resemble to the Little Egret
but can be distinguished by shape and color of the bill] or white plumage with
grey patches. It is usually a solitary bird or lives in pairs, but sometimes associates
with flocks of Little Egrets.
