Cattle egret (yellow-haired heron)

Japanese: アマサギ(黄毛鷺) - アマサギ（英語表記）cattle egret

A bird of the Heronidae family, order Ciconiiformes (illustration). Total length about 52 cm. A white heron slightly smaller than the little egret, its summer plumage is fox-colored on its head, neck, shoulders, back, and upper chest. It is also known as the cattle hare. It is found in southern Asia and Africa, but in recent years its range has expanded to include southern Europe, and it has also crossed the sea from Africa to South America and is now also found in North America. It migrates to Japan as a summer bird around May and breeds in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, but in recent years its numbers have increased and its breeding grounds have expanded.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

コウノトリ目サギ科の鳥（イラスト）。全長約52cm。コサギより少し小型の白色のサギで，夏羽は頭頸部と肩，背，上胸の羽毛がキツネ色となる。一名ショウジョウサギという。アジア南部とアフリカに分布するが，近年分布域を拡大し，ヨーロッパ南部にもすむようになり，またアフリカから海を越えて南アメリカに入り，さらに北アメリカにも現れるようになった。日本には5月ごろ夏鳥として渡来し，本州，四国，九州で繁殖するが，近年やはり数が増え，繁殖地も広がる傾向にある。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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