A new heron species, Ardea sytchevskayae sp. nov., from the Middle Miocene Sharga locality is described. The new species is represented by an almost complete coracoid and a few partial coracoids, partial scapula, and caprometacarpus. A. sytchevskayae was a relatively large heron, of the same size as A. alba, and intermediate in morphology between A. alba and other species traditionally included in this genus. In addition, the Sharga locality has yielded a large bittern and a medium-sized heron of uncertain taxonomic position.
Paleontological journal Vol. 45, No. 5, pp. 572–579.