Bird Rear Picture and other questions... (1 Viewer)

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birdman000

Well-known member

• Aug 29, 2005

• #1

Hello,
A few more questions for the experts please. These were taken within a nature preserve in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

1. Egret? This looks like an egret of some sort to me, but not like the Great Egrets I normally see. Could it be a Snowy Egret? It was smaller in size and had yellow legs. My bird book also said Snowys move rapidly thru water stirring it up to feed which it was doing.

2. Sparrow? This bird looks almost like a House Sparrow but it seems to have more gray than I am used to seeing. Any ideas?

3. Small Bird? Don't know too much about this bird as it flew away quickly. I just remember thinking 'thats one of the smallest birds I've ever seen.'

4. Bird from the rear? I have no idea what bird this could be and was wondering if any of the pros want to wager a guess.

Thanks again for fulfilling all my bird needs!!!

 

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prairiemerlin

registered guy

• Aug 29, 2005

• #2

1. Great Egret
2. House Sparrow
3. Chestnut-sided Warbler
4.?House Wren?

 

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birdman000

Well-known member

• Aug 29, 2005

• #3

Thanks for the help.

 

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affe22

Well-known member

• Aug 29, 2005

• #4

I don't think the first is a Great Egret if it had yellow legs. Cattle Egrets are smaller than Great Egrets and have pale legs. There is also a white phase Great Blue Heron with a yellow bill and yellow legs. I'm not sure if either of those would be in Wisconsin though.

 

prairiemerlin

registered guy

• Aug 29, 2005

• #5

Well, it is DEFINITLY neither of those. Cattle Egrets are never found near water, let alone wading thru it - they are field birds. As for Great-white Heron, this bird is not big enough. I'd guess it to be an immature Little Blue Heron, but that's an unusual bird for Wisconsin so don't count it unless if you can get better photos.

 

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affe22

Well-known member

• Aug 29, 2005

• #6

Brown Creeper said:

Well, it is DEFINITLY neither of those.

Click to expand...

That's what I thought too. Could it be an albino Great Egret? I'm not sure there are many good explainations for that bird.

 

Motmot

Eduardo Amengual

• Aug 29, 2005

• #7

Brown Creeper said:

Cattle Egrets are never found near water, let alone wading thru it - they are field birds.

Click to expand...

Well, is not that easy. Not their favourite habitat but...

http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/birds/tropical_bird_collection/s_florida/cattle_egret.jpg

 

smudgepot

Well-known member

• Aug 30, 2005

• #8

birdman000 said:

2. Sparrow? This bird looks almost like a House Sparrow but it seems to have more gray than I am used to seeing. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

I think your 2nd bird looks like a dark-eyed junco.

 

Rasmus Boegh

BF member

• Aug 30, 2005

• #9

I've seen hundreds of Cattle Egrets standing in water, so I certainly wouldn't rely on that! However, I agree that it doesn't look like a Cattle Egret, but it doesn't strike me as a Great Egret either. I think it is a Snowy Egret. From what I can judge the jizz is right and I've been fooled in the past by the yellow "hindpart" of the legs of some Snowy's (mostly juv's have this yellow "hindpart" to the legs, but I've seen adults with it as well). Here's two photos to show what I mean:

1) http://birdsofsanibel.free.fr/images/20040411/Snowy Egret Flying Wings Fanned For Landing.jpg
2) http://www.pbcwater.com/wakodahatchee/images/snowy_egret5.jpg

Of course - judging both leg colour and jizz from a photo like the one in the thread-started is dangerous and I could be wrong in my guess (although the fact that the photographer noted it was small seem to support Snowy rather than Great).

I agree completely with Neil on the second photo; certainly a House Sparrow.

 

Last edited: Aug 30, 2005

ProthonotaryWarbler

Well-known member

• Aug 30, 2005

• #10

I will venture for:
1: Snowy? Egret
2: House Sparrow
3: fall-plumaged Chestnut-sided Warbler
4: possibly Eastern Towhee, based on the rufous flanks that are visible in the photo

 

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birdman000

Well-known member

• Aug 30, 2005

• #11

I have seen many Great Egrets at a local marsh and the egret in question was much smaller. Also, the Great Egrets I have seen always seemed to be moving slow, looking for food. This egret moved very rapidly across the water. I looked away for a few minutes and when I looked back, I was surprized by how far the egret got. As I said before, my Nat. Geo. Bird Book says Snowys move rapidly thru water to stir up prey with their feet.

Thanks for the interest.