Yellow-billed Egret Ardea brachyrhyncha and Plumed Egret A. plumifera are split from Medium (formerly Intermediate) Egret A. intermedia (Clements 2007:20)

The mid-sized white egrets distributed in Africa, Asia, and Australia are readily identified on their breeding grounds and are now recognized as different species. Their non-breeding ranges are not entirely known and vagrant individuals may pose identification challenges.