[harryabbott]

Hi folks,
I was out today in Andalucia walking down the Rio Grande when I came across the bird in the attached photos. For all the world it looks like a little egret although I thought it appeared to be much larger than other "normal" little egrets but I had nothing to directly compare it with. It had yellow feet and black legs of a little egret but was the colour of a grey heron with a white head and throat.
Photos were taken at about 50m to give an idea of size perspective
I would be grateful for any help.
Harry

[Jurij Hanžel]

I'd hazard a guess that this is a Western Reef Heron or a hybrid between LE and the mentioned species. I think there are quite a few in Spain. There are features supporting both the former and the latter species in your bird.

Pro WRH:
- plumage
- bill shape
- toe colour (looks pretty dull greenish in the picture)

Contra WRH:
- bill colour (seems to be all black)
- the plumage isn't all grey

Which means it's probably a hybrid.

Here's a link to a useful thread that was on BF a while ago, also a pic of a hybrid: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=44662

[Motmot]

Looks like one of those hybrids Little EgretXReef Egret found regularly in Spain.
Check this website for some info

http://www.rarebirdspain.net/home.htm

[Original PaulE]

if this bird is a hybrid would it be able to breed

[harryabbott]

The feet were actually quite yellow when seen flying

Originally Posted by Jurij Hanžel
Pro WRH:
- plumage
- bill shape
- toe colour (looks pretty dull greenish in the picture)

Here's a link to a useful thread that was on BF a while ago, also a pic of a hybrid: [url="http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=44662"

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=44662[/url]

[Steve G]

It looks like a Western Reef Heron x Little Egret. Two springs ago a mixed pair of LE & WRH were nesting in the heronry at the Jose Antonio Valverde Centre in Donana -others will know if they were successful; but it seems that probable hybrids are now turning up regularly in Andalucia.