Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Gamboa, Panama • 28 April 2010

Bird name: Rufescent Tiger Heron
Latin: Tigrisoma lineatum
Other: Avetigre colorada (Es), Hocó colorado • Socó-boi (Pt)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons
Range: Central and South America

These nesting Rufescent Tiger Herons were seen at the Gamboa Ammo Ponds, in the canal zone of central Panama, with several more hunting in the pond and Chagres River. Rufescent Tiger Herons’ range extends from Mexico to Uruguay.

Unlike Green Herons, Rufescent Tiger Herons do not have black caps. Adults are mostly finely barred, with yellow lores and malar ? strip and white stripes down neck. Juveniles, see below, are more coarsely barred - like a tiger.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Danube Delta • May 2009

Bird name: Purple Heron
Latin: Ardea purpurea
Other: Héron pourpré (Fr) • Garza imperial (Es) • Airone rosso (It) • Garça-vermelha (Pt)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons
Range: Europe, tropical Africa, Asia

These Purple Heron photos were taken in the Danube Delta in Romania - Purple Herons are found throughout southern Europe during the spring and summer. I have also seen them in river estuaries in Nice, the Camargue and Ventimiglia.

They are large birds, very similar to Grey Herons, but with deeper brown and rufous tones and stronger markings.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Gamboa, Panama • 25 April 2010

Bird name: Striated Heron
Latin: Butorides striata
Other: Mangrove Heron, Little Heron • Garcita azulada (Es) • Socozinho (Br)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons
Range: Tropics

Formerly grouped with Green Heron as the Green-backed Heron, the Striated Heron has a black cap and a pale grey to pink throat, with white stripes.

Seen above in central Panama, by the Chagres River, the Striated Heron is found worldwide in tropical zones.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Gamboa, Panama • 25 April 2010

Bird name: Little Blue Heron
Latin: Egretta caerulea
Other: Garceta azul (Es), garza azul • Garça-azul (Br)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons
Range: US Gulf to Uruguay

Pictured here is a juvenile Little Blue Heron. Before gaining his blue-grey adult plumage, he could be mistaken for a Snowy Egret.

Seen by the Chagres River in central Panama.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Gamboa, Panama • April 2010

Bird name: Green Heron
Latin: Butorides virescens
Other: Green-backed Heron • Garcita verde (Es)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons
Range: North and Central America

The Green Heron, (once called Green-backed Heron), is a small dark heron with black cap and rufous neck with white line down throat. Some greenish sheen on dark feathers. Yellow or orange legs.

These Panama birds had mostly yellow ceres and yellow or orange irises. Seen in the Chagres River, a few feet away from a Caiman - apparently not a threat - and in the Chiriqui highlands.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Amboseli • Oct 2009

Bird name: Black Headed Heron
Latin: Ardea melanocephala
Other:
Family: Ardeidae • Herons

The Black-headed Heron is a large African Heron similar to the Grey Heron but with black or very dark top of head and back of neck.

André took these photos in Amboseli National Park in Kenya.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Amboseli • Oct 2009

Bird name: African Spoonbill
Latin: Platalea alba
Other:
Family: Threskiornithidae • Spoonbills

The African Spoonbill has a red face and legs, unlike the Eurasian Spoonbill. It is one of six Spoonbill species in the world.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Roseate Spoonbill
Latin: Platalea ajaja
Other: Colhereiro
Family: Threskiornithidae • Spoonbills

The Roseate Spoonbill is unmistakable from its bill shape and colour. Immediately above is presumably a juvenile, with no markings around eyes and brown fringes to feathers. Below with Wood Stork.

The Roseate Spoonbill is seen in much of Brazil and the warmer, wetter parts of the Americas.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Mostardas, Brazil • November 2009

Bird name: Whistling Heron
Latin: Syrigma sibilatrix
Other: Maria façeira (Br) • Garceta Chiflón (Es)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons

The medium-sized Whistling Heron is unmistakable with its blue lores and reddish-pink bill with black tip.

The nominate form lives in southern Brazil and neighbouring countries - with another subspecies fostresmithi living in and around Venezuela. More photos...

Bird name: Maguari Stork
Latin: Ciconia maguari
Other: Maguari (Br) • Tuyango (Es) • Cigüeña americana • Tabuyayá • (More Br) Cauanã • Cauauá• Cauauã • Cegonha • Jaburu-moleque • João-grande • Maguarim • Mauari • Tabujajá • Tapucaiá • Tubaiaiá
Family: Ciconiidae • Storks

The Maguari Stork is a large stork which lives in South America. In Brazil it is principally found from Rio Grande do Sul to the Pantanal.

It has pink-red lores and yellow irises, the upper part of its bill is bluish and the lower part pink, legs are pink-red and wings black and white. The Wood Stork has a much blacker, heavy, dirty-looking head and bill.

Storks fly with their necks extended, which is also a quick way of differentiating them from egrets and herons, which generally fly with their necks retracted.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Mostardas, Brazil • November 2009

Bird name: Cocoi Heron
Latin: Ardea cocoi
Other: White-necked Heron • Garça Moura (Br) • Garza Morena (Es) • Garza Mora • Garza Cuca • Garzón
Family: Ardeidae • Herons

The Cocoi Heron is very similar to the Grey Heron we have in Europe, but the adult has a white neck. I saw it on the beach and in fields. The Cocoi Heron is present throughout Brazil and much of South America.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye.com • Danube Delta • May 2009 • Do not copy

Bird name: Squacco Heron
Latin: Ardeola ralloides
Other: Crabier Chevelu (Fr)
Family: Ardeidae • Herons, Storks & Ibises

Squacco Herons line many of the canals in Danube Delta.

Adults have blue beaks with black tips. Lores are sometimes bright green, presumably in courtship. Feet are yellow-orange and legs orange-pink becoming redder during courtship.

Plumage of juveniles and winter adults is strongly streaked around the neck. Legs are greenish and beaks less blue.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye.com • Danube Delta • May 2009 • Do not copy

Bird name: Black Crowned Night Heron
Latin: Nycticorax nycticorax
Other: Night Heron • Bihoreau Gris • Héron Bihoreau
Family: Ardeidae • Herons Storks & Ibises

Some areas of the Danube Delta wetlands are home to great numbers of Black-crowned Night Herons - (simply “Night Herons” in Europe).

In the breeding season, feet turn reddish, irises turn brighter red and the herons grow a couple of plumes. At other times feet are yellow and wings light grey.

The juvenile Night Heron has brown wings with white spots and a brownish neck with faint streaks.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Danube Delta, Romania • May 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Eurasian Spoonbill
Latin: Platalea leucorodia
Other: Spatule blanche
Family: Threskiornithidae • Spoonbills

The Spoonbill is a great bird, immediately recognisable by its rounded yellow-tipped bill. I didn’t see many in the Danube. Fortunately this one seemed happy to pose while I took a few photos on the bank of this canal.More photos...

Bird name: Little Bittern
Latin: Ixobrychus minutus
Other: Blongios Nain • Pelicaniformes ?
Family: Ardeidae • Bitterns

Photos: monacoeye • Nice • May 2009

Not much of a view of this Little Bittern, which was with some waders by the runway in Nice. Despite the distance, it is still recognisable from the cream patches on its wings.

In the last couple of months, in or near Nice, I’ve seen the Cattle, Little and Great Egrets, Grey and Purple Herons, Squacco Heron and Little Bittern. I hope to see the Night Heron and (Great) Bittern which should both be nesting in the Var reed banks.More photos...

Photo: monacoeye • Camargue • Mar 2009

Bird name: White Stork
Latin: Ciconia ciconia
Other: Cigogne blanche
Family: Ciconiidae • Storks

This White Stork nest was high in a tree, right behind La Capelliere in the Camargue. Four White Storks were seen flying nearby.More photos...

Bird name: Grey Heron
Latin: Ardea cinerea
Other: Héron Cendré (Fr) • Gray Heron
Family: Ardeidae • Herons

Photos: monacoeye • Camargue • December 2008 & January 2009More photos...

An initial comparison of 4 similar species of white egret:

Snowy Egret: Bright yellow lores - dark bill
Little Egret: Greyish yellow lores - dark bill
Great Egret (egretta & alba): Green grey lores - yellow bill
Cattle Egret: Yellow lores - short yellow bill - hairy under bill

Snowy v Little: Yellow lores (and feet) on Snowy
Cattle v Little or Snowy: Short yellow bill on Cattle
Little v Great: Yellow bill on Great (can change)

Later I will include a comparison of size, legs, plumage and feet, different ages and breeding seasons, and locationMore photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Camargue, France • January 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Cattle Egret
Latin: Bubulcus ibis
Other: Héron Garde-Boeuf (Fr)
Family: Ardeidae • EgretsMore photos...

Bird name: Snowy Egret
Latin: Egretta thula
Other: Aigrette Neigeuse (Fr)
Family: Ardeidae
Tag: Herons, Storks & Ibises

Photos: monacoeye • Santa Catarina, Brazil • MayMore photos...

Bird name: Little Egret
Latin: Egretta garzetta
Other: Aigrette Garzette (Fr)
Family: Ardeidae
Tag: Herons, Storks & Ibises

Photos: monacoeye • Camargue, France • December 2008More photos...

Bird name: Great Egret
Latin: Ardea alba
Other: Grande Aigrette (Fr) • Kotuku (NZ)
Family: Ardeidae
Tag: Herons, Storks & Ibises

Photo: monacoeye • Camargue, France • December 2008More photos...