Rufous Night Heron or hybrid? Taoyuan, Taiwan (1 Viewer)

[SteveMM]

Hi all ...

I'd be interested in any comments on the bird in the link below, mostly as I cannot decide whether to twitch it or not!

http://www.tanews.org.tw/info/15207

Superficially, it looks like a straightforward Rufous Night Heron, albeit one with a broad pale forehead band, a washed out neck and face, and a 'patchy' look to its wing. A good series of stills of this bird have been posted today on YouTube (link below), and in these there also seem to be grey areas in the wing (especially in the alula and outer primaries) (at e.g. 0:50 and 1:07 in the video).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4avaXpZlaqA

Would those with experience of the species consider the above 'problems' to be acceptable variation within Rufous Night Heron? Or is this bird perhaps a hybrid? Thanks for any responses.

Steve

 

[sicklebill]

Looks pretty good to me for Nankeen Night Heron which is what we call it here in Australia, though the leg colour is very vivid and must presumably be breeding dress. I'd go for it.....

 

[SteveMM]

Looks pretty good to me for Nankeen Night Heron which is what we call it here in Australia, though the leg colour is very vivid and must presumably be breeding dress. I'd go for it.....

Cheers Sicklebill, I went up for that bird today.

I found a couple more things I thought might be 'wrong' for it (black patches in the mantle and grey inner webs to the under-primaries), but as I've since found both of these on 'good' Rufous Night Herons online, I guess they are not issues.

A simple case of 'not seeing the wood for the trees' on my part, then!

Steve