I shot this in one of the back ponds early Saturday morning at Merrit Island in early light...is this a "Reddish Heron"? Is there a real name for this bird? {}
Jim, We have about worn out the backbone of the Sibley Guide trying to figure all the birds out! I can get this one down to three choices. 1) Little Blue Heron - dark all over, bluish bill, Greenish legs 2) Reddish Egret (Dark Morph) - Adult should have yellow beak with dark tip, paler overall than Little Blue Heron - Juvenile has blue beak, but very pale body, dark legs 3) Juvenile Tri-colored Heron - Reddish neck, very long bill, Yellow legs. Without seeing the legs, it is even harder to tell. My guess is a Little Blue Heron - listed as common in MINWR, while the Reddish Egret is uncommon. Bob & Nan
Hi Jim, I'm pretty sure this picture that I'm posting is a 'Little Blue Heron'... I took it at Corkscrew Swamp in the fall. I don't think it looks like yours---but we need someone who really knows to identify these. Janet knows and so does Harry..hope they check in on this post. Gaye {}
If it is a Reddish Egret I think it must be a Juvenile since Sibley shows the adult with a real two-tone look of slate grey body and almost pumpkin neck and head. He describes the Juvenile color as pale chalky. There can also be rare intermediates(?) A look at the legs would really help. We took this one and I thought it to be a Reddish Egret but the yellow legs made Nan think it a Juvenile Tri-colored Heron, the neck and head looks the same color as Jim's: {} Gaye, yours is certainly a Little Blue Heron. Anyone ever seen/photographed an adult Reddish Egret? Help! Bob & Nan
This is a Reddish Egret I found this Reddish Egret at MWR a couple weeks prior to the shoot. The Mirror Image I posted was also a Reddish at the Fla Session. {} View attachment 5650 He also doesnt stalk his prey, from what I saw, He dances all over the place chasing it. Quite a character to watch. Cheers Gale
Thanks Gale, this is what I was looking for to match the Sibley drawing. Light bill with dark tip Black legs Significant difference in color between head/neck and body. Body light grey, head/neck red-orange. Based on your photo, I think Jim's bird and the one I photographed is not a Reddish Egret, at least not an adult. Bob
Actually, I would rather that the bird I shot wasn't a true reddish heron...they are kinda clutzy looking
