Posted by Phil Pickering (208.46.229.113) on June 17, 2002 at 22:06:54:
Finally got around to doing some serious photo study of the two species in question and, after a couple hours work, I'm goin' with LITTLE BLUE HERON all the way.
Reddish Egrets can show a SLIGHT downcurve to the bill, but this is more typical of LBHE, and many or most REEG do have a noticeably straighter bill than this bird. After extended photo study, though, I think a more important thing to look at is the proportional LENGTH of the bill. Just as with that darn Verdlet, I think it is easy to be fooled by a sort of optical illusion with this bird. On both species in alternate, but particularly with REEG, the malar and chin feathering extends much farther out in front of the eye than on this bird. The glowing pale completely bare-looking area at the base of the lower mandible makes this bird's bill seem longer and thicker than it would if this area were even partially feathered. If you cover the chin/malar area to the extent it would normally be feathered in alternate, I think the bill starts to look WAY too short for a typical REEG, perhaps totally outside their range of length, and much more in line with the shorter bill on a typical LBHE. The (true) bill base also looks too thin for a typical REEG. In fact, I wonder if it's possible that the eye diameter/bill length ratio is diagnostic between the two.
As stated in my first confused post, I think the bill pattern is much more typical of LBHE, with REEG typically showing a greater amount of dark, and with the inward extension of dark more often being equal on both mandibles as if vertically dipped in ink. As for what happens to the bill pigment in winter, I haven't found any photos that show this, but the Nat Geo actually states that the "two-toned" breeding bill on a REEG becomes "DARK" in winter(??) rather than fading. While perhaps not actual, the "photo" appearance of the bill pattern and light/dark contrast on this bird is absolutely typical of LBHE. All it apparently takes is a slight overexposure to wash out the paler blue bill base, and the color may fade in winter anyway. I can sort of see a very slight bluish or purplish tinge to the base in this photo anyway, darkening slightly on the skin in front of the eye, creating a look that seems quite typical of LBHE.
As with the bill, I think the length of both the tibia, and particularly the tarsus (captured nicely in this high-steppin' photo) are possibly WAY too short for REEG. REEG look really long-legged to me, while this bird looks proportionately quite short-legged for a "big" heron, particularly when you consider how comparatively LONG the toes are. As for head/neck/body proportions, I at first thought they might look better for REEG, but after photo study I don't see anything really wrong for LBHE. The eye does look quite large in proportion to the head on this bird (almost bug-eyed), which is a more typical look for LBHE.
While I tried to make this into a REEG, I never felt good about the leg color. Again, the leg color is perfect for LBHE (perhaps slightly faded or overexposed) and WAY off for a REEG in every photo or resource I have checked. In fact, the much darker blue-toned leg color of REEG extends all the way to the tips of the toes in alternate! Given that they are largely non-migratory and winter in the eastern US, I can't imagine that a color change this dramatic in winter wouldn't merit a mention or illustration in Sibley or somewhere. I have to assume that REEG leg color does NOT become paler yellow-green, exactly like a LBHE, in winter.
While I may have glimpsed blue-gray feathering at the base of the neck on REEG, I have not been able to find any with even a hint of bluish coloration on the head (other than bare skin around the eye). The blue on the head of this bird appears to be thin, perhaps worn, bluish feathering, as you would probably expect on a winter LBHE. As for the neck color, I've learned that some/most individual LBHE do have a slightly contrasting reddish-purplish (maroon-ish?) tone on the neck. The intensity of color does seems to vary quite a bit, and perhaps it intensifies in winter or with wear(?) Based on photo study, it seems that those that do show the differing neck color typically show this pattern - with body color extending up onto the base of the neck, changing abruptly to more reddish/purplish on the central and upper neck, often extending onto the rear of the head/face and hind-crown, and changing back to body color at least on the fore-crown and forward part of the face. As for the course look to the feathering on the sides of the neck, I have to assume that this is just due to wear, or is a basic-plumage thing.
The appearance of the very thin, stringy body-color scapular "plumes" hanging over the sides of the body seem better for LBHE to me, but I haven't studied this very much.
As for behavior, a LBHE is certainly capable of moving fast enough to leave a wake, so I don't think that can be given any real ID weight, although it is interesting to consider. To suggest another approach that I know nothing about, since the water looks reasonably deep here, would a REEG just plow through, or would this deliberate high step, bending the leg completely out of the water be more typical of LBHE?
Cheers,
Phil