Reading my message as it came back to me I should say that I meant to write
'Our birds don't have such a SUBSTANTIAL crest'
The Heron,
This is a Striated Heron Butorides striata AKA by many other names including
Green-backed Heron Ardeola striatus etc. This species has a world-wide
distribution including Australia. There are 30 races or subspecies. The race
I've seen on Christmas Island when I could determine subspecies (there are
usually one or two around), is B. s. javanicus which breeds throughout SE
Asia and the Greater Sundas just to the north of CI. I have not seen one
that looks like your today's bird on CI or anywhere on mainland Australia
where from two to five races are recognised. Your bird is very distinctive
in two ways. The pattern of white stripes on the face, throat, foreneck and
bend of wing and its substantial crest. Our birds don't have a crest. These
characters fit the race amurensis which breeds in Japan, Korea, and adjacent
areas of China but winters in SE Asia. But the underparts of that race are
grey like the upperparts whereas on your bird the underparts are buff. So I
wonder whether it could be the race actophilus which breeds in southern
China and also winters in SE Asia. I don't know what that race looks like
but since its range abuts that of amurensis, I imagine they may share some
characters. This is a new taxa for Australia so should be written up. So
some better photos will be most useful.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
==========www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
===============================
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
===============================
|
