# Is this a Heron?



## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

My neighbor took this picture of an unidentified bird on the railing of their deck a while ago. I told her I thought it was a Heron. Am I right, or way off base?










John


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

Egret.


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

Thanks Mike,
I was thinking either Heron or Egret. But I thought that Egrets were white. I guess that there are probably different varieties of Egret too though. I was thinking it was a Great Blue Heron. But I'll take a look at Egrets too.

Thanks!

John


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

I was thinking Blue Heron too John....


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

Actually I think it is a Blue Heron. I did a Google search and found that Herons and Egrets are very similar. I think they're the same family or something like that. 

John


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## FishMichv2 (Oct 18, 2004)

blue heron, no doubt. egrets are smaller versions of white herons.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

WALLEYE MIKE!!!


:tsk: :tsk:


LOL!!

:mischeif:


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## hitechman (Feb 25, 2002)

Looks like it might be a green heron!

Steve


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

Could be green. Either way, I'm pretty sure it's a Heron.

John


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

So how did it taste?






















Please note, this post was made for humor purposes only. In no way does the poster condone breaking the law in any way shape manner or form. If your sense of PC was offended by this post............. Kiss off!!!!


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

ESOX said:


> So how did it taste?
> 
> Please note, this post was made for humor purposes only. In no way does the poster condone breaking the law in any way shape manner or form. If your sense of PC was offended by this post............. Kiss off!!!!



:lol: :lol:


Jus' like chicken!!


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

I have a photo of one somewhere, but if it's a fairly small bird, then I think it's a green heron, which are fairly rare, I'm told. I got a photo of one in the Grass River years ago, and it's the only green heron I've ever seen.


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## Gonda (Mar 10, 2008)

I've seen two green herons this year. First time I have ever seen them. Maybe they are making a come back?


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

I see Green Herons every year on the river raisin. But I do see more Night Herons tho.


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## hitechman (Feb 25, 2002)

I've seen lots of them while duck hunting in the marshes just north of Saint Johns (along US-127).

The Green Heron is relatively small; adult body length is about 44 cm (*17 in*). *The neck is often pulled in tight against the body*. Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, grey underparts and short yellow legs. *The bill is dark with a long, sharp point*. Female adults tend to be smaller than males, and have duller and lighter plumage, particularly in the breeding season. Juveniles are duller, with the head sides, neck and underparts streaked brown and white.

Picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Butorides_striatus1.jpg/800px-

Steve


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## Spartaned (Jan 24, 2006)

From the size of the bird in comparison to the deck and the coloration, it looks to me like a great blue heron. Green herons are the smallest herons in Michigan and very common. They have a more brown back and would look much smaller on that deck rail.


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I'm pretty sure it's a blue. I've seen it out back before after a long period of rain there are some puddles that hang around for a while in low lying areas. It was fairly large. I've also seen them hanging out along the edge of the pond in our sub.

John


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## aslongasitpullsback (Dec 30, 2005)

defiantly a blue heron... way to large for a green heron.... it also could be an immature blue heron.


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## JimP (Feb 8, 2002)

jpollman said:


> I'm pretty sure it's a blue. I've seen it out back before after a long period of rain there are some puddles that hang around for a while in low lying areas. It was fairly large. I've also seen them hanging out along the edge of the pond in our sub.
> 
> John


Yup, plenty of them Blues around RH.
Saw 6-7 along the pond next to the Salvation Army store on Auburn last year...must have been a frog or minnow hatch, they were all poking water like in a feeding frenzy for hours. 
Later in the summer they cleaned out my neighbor's brand new Coy pond, ducked under the lines he had stretched across.


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## fathom this (Feb 10, 2008)

jimp said:


> Yup, plenty of them Blues around RH.
> Saw 6-7 along the pond next to the Salvation Army store on Auburn last year...must have been a frog or minnow hatch, they were all poking water like in a feeding frenzy for hours.
> Later in the summer they cleaned out my neighbor's brand new Coy pond, ducked under the lines he had stretched across.


 Yup! they play heck with backyard ponds. One got all my pond fish.
The bird in the picture looks like a green Heron, but if the bird in the picture stands three to four feet tall than it is a Great Blue Heron.
If you see the two side by side they do not look anything alike.


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