More Whooping Cranes shot

[maple]

I'll admit... I'm confused...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Egret


"It is sometimes confused with the Great White Heron in Florida, which is a white morph of the closely related Great Blue Heron (A. herodias). Note, however, that the name Great White Heron has occasionally been used to refer to the Great Egret."


What white bird did I see with the two great blue herons which are normal sights around here...I mean there are just a couple you can count on seeing...not like a flock or anything.

 

[gryeyes]

Here in the Great Western WaterFowl Waterway, the herons and egrets are often sighted together. We also have a population of wintering Sandhill cranes.

Whooping cranes are exceedingly rare to sight, since they are so close to extinction.

 

[maple]

Thank you for that info.

 

[Sumatra503]

The official number in that particular fly way flock is 96. They are strictly Eastern United states residents and then only a few of those states.

One theory is that the birds were hit with the spray from a duck hunter's shotgun while aiming at ducks or geese.

Since there are only 96 they are far from a pest to crops and 3 in your field wouldn't be a cause for alarm. Probably an accident and not done on purpose, since nobody knows what a whooping crane is.

 

[SillyChicken]

Whooping crane has more black on the face and wings.

Egrets are much smaller and all white.

 

[maple]

That's why I'm sure I saw an egret. The face was not like that and it was traveling with 2 blue herons.

 

[Sumatra503]

I'd love to see one in person. I'm sure it's an amazing sight. Especially seeing them being lead by the Ultra light planes.

These were DAR and not Ultra Light Lead birds. I wonder if that makes a difference in their behaviors at all.

 

[Sumatra503]

there is now a $12,500 reward for any information leading to an arrest.