These are found in coastal north and east Australia, occasionally in Victoria and South Australia and also from east Africa across tropical southern Asia.
They live in wetlands with shallow water, wet grasslands and pastures, they prefer freshwater habitats but are also found in mangroves, mudflats, and estuaries. Here you can see them in wetland areas like Hedlow Creek, around the Capricorn Resort and sometimes in Ross Creek. The Great Egret is also found in these places and it is difficult to distinguish between the two unless they are together, however the Intermediate Egret is smaller, has a noticeably shorter, yellow bill and black legs.
They stalk their prey methodically in shallow water, looking for small fish, frogs, lizards, crustaceans and insects.
The sexes are similar and pairs nest in colonies with other herons, the nest is a small platform of sticks built in a tree overhanging the water.  In breeding plumage they have a deep pink to red bill, blue-green facial skin, long breast plumes and long wing plumes extending beyond the tail.
Some taxonomists put this species in the genus Mesophoyx or Ardea, these disagreements are quite common in academic circles.