Whilst birding the Jubail area recently we came across a good number of Indian Reef Heron Egretta gularis. The species is a common, mostly resident coastal breeder that can be seen in good numbers. Most birds seen are white morph birds but about 10% are of the grey or black morph. They occur on all coasts of the Kingdom but are seldom recorded inland. I have seen nests on offshore islands in the Arabian Gulf where birds breed in the summer months. They often occur with other egrets, mainly Little Egrets and Great Egrets and normally stay close to shore to fish.
