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Juvenile Green/Yellow Crowned Heron?
Location: Earth » North America » United States » South Carolina » Beaufort County
Date: July 1, 0008
This bird has been around the marsh for the past couple days. He is either sitting in a tree (low) or along the shore of the marsh. I think he is some kind of juvenile heron....maybe a juvenile green heron or a juvenile yellow-crowned night heron. I have not been able to figure him out. Thanks!
Posted by Carol Clemens on July 01, 2008 17:12. Last updated: July 04, 2008 17:03.
Comments
Young Bird
Thanks so much for the comments. I will try to follow this bird and hope that he continues to appear. He normally shows up early evening and it is hard to get a shot that is not backlit since the sun sets right over the marsh so I can't get around him for a better angle. I will keep trying. I do have another shot with him in the marsh that is a little clearer that I will try to post. Thanks again and I will continue to track/post shots of him. Carol
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Drool
Oh Carol, this is a terrific bird and identification question.
Overall, I think this is such a young bird that even its juvenile plumage isn't fully developed. Or, better yet, this is a "first summer" bird (about one year old) having lost its juvenile plumage but not yet acquired adult plumage. The angle of observation and back-lighting doesn't help.
I'm ruling-out Green Heron. This is either a Black-crowned Night-Heron or Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. Based mostly on bill shape etc. I'm going with Black-crowned Night-Heron, yearling.
I would love to see you follow this bird, observe any plumage changes, get some better photographs and post them here.