Black - Grey Heron?????? (1 Viewer)

Here's one for you very clever people!
Just looked at John Butlers website....Donana Bird Tours

Trip report 11/11/04 Northern Marshes

"Spotted a heron sized bird, completely black. The size, beak, shape, build, stance,and everything else pointed to a Grey Heron except the colour- black as a Black Stork.Any suggestions?"

So what do you think????????


Eagle

(I'd like to know ....so apologies to John...cant wait for you to post about this!!)

I've never seen one myself, but melanistic Grey Herons do happen. I think Richard Millington mentions one in his book A Twicher's Diary that was reported as a Black Heron and turned out to be precisely that - a black Grey Heron.

Sounds like a Melanistic Grey Heron.

Ah....I knew there would be someone with the knowledge!
Sounds convincing....but what would I know?
Thanks for that chaps. I have e-mailed John to see what he thinks...

Eagle

How about a Western Reef Heron ? (the black ssp)

RedBishop said:

How about a Western Reef Heron ? (the black ssp)

Click to expand...

I wouldn't have thought that WRH could ever be described as being the same size as Grey Heron. They're a Little Egret-sized bird.

Good point, I missed that part somehow..

And a URL for Melanistic Grey Heron :
http://www.islaywildlife.freeserve.co.uk/heron1.jpg

Thanks for the link Redbishop!

Eagle

RedBishop said:

And a URL for Melanistic Grey Heron :
http://www.islaywildlife.freeserve.co.uk/heron1.jpg

Click to expand...

Hi everyone.

I was out on a bird tour guiding a BF member, John Henry, when I saw this particular heron. It was so close when it first flew (10 metres) up from a ditch as I was driving. My first call, because of the size and colour, was Black Stork, but as it landed 50 metres away it became obvious that it was not a stork.

My second thought was Western Reef Heron or melanistic Little Egret, but both of these were quickly discounted.

Screeching to a halt (nearly sending JH through the window) we got out of the vehicle to try to get a better view, but the bird flew and landed about 250 metres away. We both got our scopes on the bird and confirmed each others observations, ie. heron sized, same shape, completely black except for light eyes and the bill, which was dark brown above and yellowish below, similar to a juv Grey Heron.

We both came to the conclusion after 10 minutes of viewing that it had to be a melanistic Grey Heron.

The photo that you put a link to shows a similar bird, but ours was even blacker than that and the legs and feet were jet black. A most startling bird, to say the least.

I have been back to the same area on three more trips but have not re-located the bird.

Thanks to Eagle for highlighting the sighting. I was hoping to see the bird again before posting, but, alas, it seems to have left the area. Maybe John Henry will give his thoughts when he returns to Cornwall next week, after his two week birding holiday in Spain.

Regards from Donana.

John.

Didn't they have a chemical spill at Donana a few years ago?