also: はくろ
white heron; egret
Refers to any heron with predominantly white plumage, including egrets. In everyday use, しらさぎ is the typical reading.
川辺で白鷺が魚を捕まえていた。
A white heron was catching fish by the riverside.
A flock of egrets landed in the rice field.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading しらさぎ is the most common.
Rare on-reading; mostly encountered in literary or formal contexts.
Compound of 白 (しら, 'white') and 鷺 (さぎ, 'heron'). The reading はくろ is the on-reading of the same characters.