A real stunner seeing this one yesterday afternoon(Aug.29/10). My wife and I I had to give our heads a shake as we've only seen this one in the southern states and on down south. It was feeding along the reeds in Sparrow Lake, the trout pond in Four Seasons Park in Beaumont. Gavin Berg, an Alberta biologist, says it's rare and that a pair once nested at Alberta Beach some time back. We've returned several times in the hope of getting a picture and will keep trying this week.
We appreciate the report on the Cattle Egret in Beaumont. Cattle Egrets are not a very big bird & a number of years ago one was seen just north of Camrose. It was walking around with gulls near the Feedmill on Hwy 21 & 13. They are all white so if the bird observed is any other colour then it could be a Black-crowned Night Heron which is about the same size. If you do happen to get a photo please email it to the Wildbird General Store address: info@wildbirdgeneralstore.com
It appears my Cattle Egret just may be a Great Blue Heron white morph, a bird I would never have considered. Gavin Berg, Alberta wildlife biologist sent me this email after examining the pictures I sent.
-Ed
Hello Ed!
These pictures are great! What a neat find in a community water body. After looking at the pictures I don’t think it is a cattle egret after all. Cattle egrets have short stocky necks, this guy has an obviously long neck. This leads me to believe it is either a white morph of a great blue heron – if it is, it shouldn’t be in Alberta and has a range restricted to Florida – or it is a great egret, which is also rare in Alberta. I have attached two pictures of the different birds, maybe that will help you identify what it is. Leg color will give it away, the egret has black legs, while the heron has yellow. The heron is also much larger than the egret.
You are such a smart fellow! It may very be a morph as there was a Great Blue Heron at the same pond, although the bird in the pix does have black legs. Perhaps a Great Egret? Attached is the original non-reduced pix so you can zoom in on the legs.
Looks like a great egret for sure. There have been a few records of them in Alberta, but nothing substantial! Definitely an interesting find and we thank you for sharing it!
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