birding-aus

Fw: Christmas Island Unknown Heron Identification

To: Mike Carter <>, Jeff Davies <>, 'Nikolas Haass' <>, "" <>
Subject: Fw: Christmas Island Unknown Heron Identification
From: Mick Roderick <>
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2014 22:43:54 -0800 (PST)
Are we actually seeing a streaks on the back though? Or is the bird in a pose 
where it is lifting its wings slightly (in hunting mode) and the breeze has 
caught some feathers, lifting them at an angle making us think it has streaking 
on the back? The image is of such poor quality that we could argue for this and 
that. I agree with Nikolas that some more info would be very helpful. So far, 
we can see features that fit more than one species, but the habitat and the 
text on the website ('feeding on the shoreline for small crustaceans') is 
suggestive of Striated Heron. It just doesn't 'feel' like an Ixobrychus bittern 
to me. 

Interestingly, they have an image of a Cinnamon Bittern on the same website 
that was taken into care (see link under the 'unknown birdy' text). A Cinnamon 
Bittern was also photographed at The Dales in mid December. 

Mick 



On Wednesday, 26 February 2014 4:10 PM, Mike Carter <> 
wrote:
  
Quite true, the streaks on the back would be very odd for a Striated Heron 
but such an extensive black cap would be very odd for a Yellow Bittern as 
would the habitat for a foraging bird. The green legs would be a better fit 
for Striated Heron as Yellow Bittern normally would have yellow legs. This 
is a hard one.

Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza  VIC 3930
Tel  (03) 9787 7136





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