also: ちゅうさぎ
medium egret; intermediate egret
A white heron species (Ardea intermedia) found in wetlands across Asia, including Japan. Common in birdwatching contexts.
I spotted a medium egret in the rice field.
チュウサギはダイサギより少し小さい。
The intermediate egret is a bit smaller than the great egret.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Kanji spelling is rare; the bird name is normally written in kana.
From 中 (chū, 'medium') + 鷺 (sagi, 'heron/egret'), referring to its intermediate size among white egrets.