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Green Heron in the Netherlands (1 Viewer)

I think it is a virescens, but I am not absolutely sure without looking into my books.
 
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Looks perfectly like immature Green Heron. There are some photographs in the gallery. Just compare them with yours and you won't have any doubts anymore.

Great shot.

Eckart
 
Hi there,
Surely this is one of the Green/ Mangrove Heron complex, but not a Green Heron from North America? The 1st-w last year in Co.Cork and Anglesey was far more colourful than this, and one would expect a 2nd cal bird to be even more adult-like.
That said, I have no experience of the Old World taxa, and no idea of how likely (or unlikely) genuine vagrancy by any of them would be....
Regards,
Harry
 
Surely a virescens (rufous neck-side) The only bother is the, as it seems, wholly fresh juvenile plumage, in late April, it is taken in April, isn´t it? Usually juveniles moult body feathers, all of the wing coverts, some retain a variable amount of ving coverts, in their first year, so by spring they resemble the adult. In the image you can just see one tip of the primary covert, rather broadly tipped white, like it is in juveniles.
So, an escape I would suggest, born this year, in a collection somewhere.

JanJ
 
There is an illustration of a first summer bird American Green Heron in Sibley Xenospiza if you have that to look at. This bird doesn't feel right to me as being a first summer American Green Heron as JanJ has explained it also seems to be a juvie, which doesn't seem to fit with this being a wild bird.

Luke
 
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Doesn't look very much like the North American Green Heron - looks more like on of the Eurasian ssp... but which one? And juvenile plumage at this time of year, as mentioned, is VERY odd.
 
wrexile1 said:
Doesn't look very much like the North American Green Heron - looks more like on of the Eurasian ssp... but which one? And juvenile plumage at this time of year, as mentioned, is VERY odd.

Why not virescens? As far as I know virescens is the only race with rufous on neck-sides, and there seems to be enough of that on the subject juv/1st winter Dutch bird.

http://www.wildbirdgallery.com/images/birds/butorides_virescens/virescens.htm

http://www.wildbirdgallery.com/images/birds/butorides_striatus/brevipes.htm

JanJ
 
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Agreed with that on second looks Jan - though the plumage is still extremely unusual for a 1st summer bird. My money is still on escape.
 
Yes, neck was definitely rufous...

Bird was extremely confiding but 'genuine' Green Heron is said to be quite tame as well. As mentioned, (very) fresh juvenile plumage is a bad sign, the location (just a few kilometers north of Schiphol national airport) is another...

Keeping positive, virescens according to 'official' sources, isn't kept in any European zoo. Moreover, Aviornis (the Dutch 'breeders' organisation) has no records of Green Herons being kept in captivity much less being bred... So either a genuine vagrant or an illegal adoptee at large ;-)

*** keeping fingers firmly crossed ***
Vincent

EDIT: Identification as Green Heron is said to be confirmed by British expert...
 
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Well, here's one I made earlier today after an interesting trip involving lots of traffic jams (mostly in the opposite direction) and a walk through a gay cruising zone...
Very dark conditions, but a close enough bird! And great to watch!
 

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We will probably never know the origin of this bird, and I shall not nag about it, but the interesting part is the fresh plumage. Compare with these from US, and notice the amount of rufous in the US birds, simply because they are of an earlier date? Surley a variable character.

http://www.roysephotos.com/GreenHeron.html

and look at these juveniles:

http://www.notason.com/oiseaux/id275.htm

notice the bill colour in the juvenile here:

http://www.geocities.com/tgrey41/Pages/GreenHeronp.html

JanJ
 
wrexile1 said:
If it were a genuine vagrant... surely it wouldn't have been fledged long enough to fly the Atlantic?! ;)

Yep, the seemingly fresh plumage is a huge pain in the... Maybe the nest was on board a ship? ;-) Any Yanks reading this that have seen a similar bird in spring?

Will go have another look at the bird later this afternoon before or after work: 500m from the bird B).

Vincent

ps Distance to bird apparently today has gone into double figures :)
 
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