help with egret

["Marnix Zwankhuizen" <>]

This bird looks like an Intermediate Egret to me. It could be the same bird I saw over a month ago at Yerrabi.

In the photos where it has it's neck stretched out fully the length of the head/neck is still approx. the same as the length of it's body. In the Great Egret it is usually c.1.5 times the length of it's body. Also the gape of it's bill does not go all the way below it's eye and then beyond the end of it's eye as mentioned in some guides.

But then I am happy to be proved wrong and haven't ever seen a juvenile Great Egret.

Cheers
Marnix

On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 9:40 PM, Geoffrey Dabb <> wrote:

My short vision isn't what it used to be, but all those photos seem to be of  a Great Egret.  I was there a few weeks ago when 2 G Egrets were there, and one was markedly smaller than the other.   I am going by the bill, discounting the neck and posture which depends on the attitude of the bird at the moment.

 

From: roger curnow [
Sent: Friday, 16 May 2008 8:43 PM
To: COG
Subject: [canberrabirds] help with egret

 

Hi All

 

I have never used Flickr before, but hopefully at:

                m("N05/","//www.flickr.com/photos/26596900");" target="_blank">http:

is a photo of either one or two egrets.

 

The photos were taken at Yerrabi pond a fortnight apart.

I thought they were all of the one bird,
                                and based on the black legs, a Cattle Egret;
but following conversations with others, I begin to wonder.

 

Could someone who is confident in their egret classifying abilities
tell me if they are both Cattle Egrets, both Intermediate Egrets or one of each.

 

If there is a simple rule available could I know that..

 

        roger curnow