Unknown heron Near Darwin Northern Australia (1 Viewer)

[tcollins]

The attached images were taken 70 km south of Darwin in a fresh water pond the bird was with pied heron, little egret, great egret, intermediate egretand blacknecked stork. It is about the same size as the pied heron ie 45-50 cm perhaps slightly smaller. It has the white leading edge on its wings similar to the white necked heron but has a brown head cap and neck. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Trevor

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

perhaps a leucistic Pied, though the extend of brownish on the neck doesn't really mirror the normal neck-pattern.

 

[lostinjapan]

I'd go for Pied as well. Perhaps leucistic, but what do young birds look like?

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

Perhaps leucistic, but what do young birds look like?

Fairly similar, but not quite. The body plumage is darker (as in ad.); not as grey as this bird. Juveniles also lack the dark cap of the ad, but don't have the faded brown shown in this bird.

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

but, doing a gallery search I did find one juvenile with a similar brownish colour to the crown and lowermost neck, but that still doesn't explain the extensively brownish neck or the faded body-plumage of the bird in this thread. Anyway, brownish-capped juv. Pied:

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=64563

 

[tcollins]

Thanks for the comments I have heard from the local guru Niven Mcrie who agrees that it is a juvenile pied heron. The colour is rare but has been noted before although not every season. The white wing edges also occur in juveniles but dissappear after the first moult.