ID help: juvenile little blue heron or juvenile snowy egret??

[allanrube]

I thought this was a little blue but 2 people locally have said it is a young snowy egret. I really don't know so I thought I would ask here.

[Jim Keener]

Allan, if you are on Facebook, try the Facebook Bird ID Group of the World.

[allanrube]

Thanks Jim.

[Edward Arthur]

I'd go with snowy egret. The tip-off seems to be the yellow lores (space between eye and bill).

http://www.birdingisfun.com/2011/02/...owy-egret.html
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/48/...owy_Egret.aspx
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/46/...lue_Heron.aspx

[Dan Brown]

I think this is a juv. Snowy Egret also. The upper mandible being evenly dark the full length, the yellow surrounding the eye and the lack of any dark feathers anywhere all point to SNEG.

[Arthur Morris]

Snowy by a mile. Juvie LBH has a light blue bill with a dark tip and the bill is stouter. ps: to Dan--juvie little blues are all white :)

[Dan Brown]

Snowy by a mile. Juvie LBH has a light blue bill with a dark tip and the bill is stouter. ps: to Dan--juvie little blues are all white :)

ps: Artie, If you will look at the NG field guide 5th edition, you will see an illustration of a Juvenile Little Blue Heron with dark primary tips. So, according to the folks that wrote this edition (which is my most current reference) Juvie little blues CAN HAVE DARK PRIMARY TIPS. I guess it comes down to the definition of "juvenile" = nestling, fledgling, Hatch year?

[Arthur Morris]

ps: Artie, If you will look at the NG field guide 5th edition, you will see an illustration of a Juvenile Little Blue Heron with dark primary tips. So, according to the folks that wrote this edition (which is my most current reference) Juvie little blues CAN HAVE DARK PRIMARY TIPS. I guess it comes down to the definition of "juvenile" = nestling, fledgling, Hatch year?

It does not. It comes down to using language carefully :). You first wrote, and I quote, "...and the lack of any dark feathers anywhere all point to SNEG."

As you noted the NG Guide says that juvie LBH can have dark primary tips. Thus, you cannot use the lack of any dark feathers to separate juveniles of these two species.

I was equally guilty when I wrote, juvie little blues are all white .

I should have written that juvie little blues can be all white.

If you really want to have fun, try separating the fledglings and throw in Cattle Egret!

[Dan Brown]

It does not. It comes down to using language carefully :). You first wrote, and I quote, "...and the lack of any dark feathers anywhere all point to SNEG."

As you noted the NG Guide says that juvie LBH can have dark primary tips. Thus, you cannot use the lack of any dark feathers to separate juveniles of these two species.

I was equally guilty when I wrote, juvie little blues are all white .
When I wrote -I should have written that juvie little blues can be all white.

If you really want to have fun, try separating the fledglings and throw in Cattle Egret!

When I wrote - "...and the lack of any dark feathers anywhere all point to SNEG." I thought that I was saying that all the mentioned field marks suggested SNEG. I was not trying to state that they were diagnostic, IMO. I guess that wasn't clear enough. Hope I didn't confuse the original poster?

[Arthur Morris]

Hey Dan, I can only go by what you said. The lack of any dark feathers do not at all point to SNEG :).

[Dan Brown]

Hey Dan, I can only go by what you said. The lack of any dark feathers do not at all point to SNEG :).

This is the whole sentence. "The upper mandible being evenly dark the full length, the yellow surrounding the eye and the lack of any dark feathers anywhere all point to SNEG.". If you combine all of the field marks mentioned THEY POINT TO SNEG. By saying "POINT TO" I did not mean "MAKE THIS A SNEG". I meant that they add up to it likely being a SNEG. What does "POINT TO" mean to you, Artie?

[Miguel Palaviccini]

Does the all yellow foot not point directly at a Snowy? LBH have more of a drab/greenish set of legs when they are juvi's. Just a thought.

[Arthur Morris]

Point to means indicate to me, and for the last time, the lack of dark primaries does not "point to" SNEG.

Yeah, its semantics and we are both obviously stubborn. :)

[Dan Brown]

Point to means indicate to me, and for the last time, the lack of dark primaries does not "point to" SNEG.

Yeah, its semantics and we are both obviously stubborn. :)

Now I understand your "POINT" Artie! Point well taken.

[Arthur Morris]

Now I understand your "POINT" Artie! Point well taken.

:) Friends to the end!