Dark "Heron/Egret" near Jambiani in Zanzibar - June 2023 (1 Viewer)

[Dragonspeed]

Looking to try to identify this bird.... Was thinking Black Headed Heron - but the yellow feet don't match.
Unknown Heron by Brian Hampson, on Flickr

 

[mummymonkey]

Is reef heron in range?

 

[Butty]

Was thinking Black Headed Heron - but the yellow feet don't match.

Nor does much else: neck, underparts.
If I believe the book, it's a dark-morph little egret (amount of yellow on tarsus, viz. none). But this little egret/reef heron/dimorphic egret complex seems to be a bit of a conundrum.

 

[sicklebill]

Dimorphic Egret for me

 

[Butty]

Dimorphic Egret for me

... because...?

 

[THE_FERN]

Dark phase little egret. Yellow of feet restricted to just the feet, doesn't extend up legs. (What even is a dimorphic egret? Sounds a dodgy taxon to me. One of the Wikipedia pics of it, and the headline ebird image of the form have the yellow restricted as here---but Fanshawe &c say more extensive yellow is the id criterion)

 

[Mike Earp]

What even is a dimorphic egret?

See here. Looks like one to me.

 

[THE_FERN]

See here. Looks like one to me.

This is what I noted. You'll see that that photo doesn't match the id criterion for dimorphic egret---see my post and butty's for example

 

[THE_FERN]

Looking at African bird club images labelled "dimorphic egret" shows a variety of extents of yellow on the feet. This ref:

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46804188

Suggests (contrary Fanshawe et al) that the yellow doesn't always extend up the leg in dimorphic.

I also point to the useful discussion here:

Dimorphic vs. Little Egret (Zanzibar)

Hi guys, Few weeks ago I visited Zanzibar, Tanzania. Although it was mostly a relaxing holiday, we also spend some time birding. Along the coast, lots of egrets were present at low tide. Only at the part near our resort, I would say around 20-40 each day. Both Dimorphic and Little Egret should...

www.birdforum.net

Ultimately I'm left reinforced in my view this isn't a separate species and is only somewhat different to little egret, sometimes. I don't take any unequivocal id characters which distinguish dimorphic from others in all cases

 

[Mike Earp]

This is what I noted. You'll see that that photo doesn't match the id criterion for dimorphic egret---see my post and butty's for example

Looks just like the dark egrets of Madagascar which are generally ascribed to Egretta (garzetta) dimorpha.

 

[Mike Earp]

Does this show the same bird? Are the lores grey(ish) or yellow(ish), as that is said to be one way to distinguish Little and Dimorphic Egrets?

 

[THE_FERN]

Does this show the same bird? Are the lores grey(ish) or yellow(ish), as that is said to be one way to distinguish Little and Dimorphic Egrets?

If I remember the BF thread I linked, lore colour isn't a valid character. At best it's difficult to judge and varies through the year

 

[sicklebill]

Dark phase little egret. Yellow of feet restricted to just the feet, doesn't extend up legs. (What even is a dimorphic egret? Sounds a dodgy taxon to me. One of the Wikipedia pics of it, and the headline ebird image of the form have the yellow restricted as here---but Fanshawe &c say more extensive yellow is the id criterion)

Check your IOC checklist where it is listed, the whole taxonomy is murky though and eBird has it as Little (Dimorphic).The bird looks like the Madagascar ones....

 

[THE_FERN]

Check your IOC checklist where it is listed, the whole taxonomy is murky though and eBird has it as Little (Dimorphic).The bird looks like the Madagascar ones....

The links I included give a basic overview of the taxonomic history and controversy. Perhaps there's been some more recent work but if so it's not obvious.

Basically, I can't see anything either in the descriptions or in images which definitively rules out dark phase little egret when the yellow on the feet is as restricted as here. The fact that these birds look like other birds (in Madagascar) doesn't help as there must be equal doubt about their status (and in any case still doesn't rule out dark phase little in this case)