A 'white' grey heron? (2 Viewers)

[Geordie Polak]

A couple of days ago I saw a group of 4 grey herons flying up the river on our land but the last one was distinctly white and not grey at all like the first 3. My first thought was that it was a different bird, maybe a large seagull. I was quite far away (and had no camera with me) but the more I watched it, it definitely had the typical flight of a heron, and it was the same size as the other 3.

I was even more convinced it was a heron when they all landed next to each other in tall pine trees with the same typical slightly awkward heron landing.

Juveniles are not white at all and white egrets don't come this far north, so my only other guess is an albino...?

Anyone any idea...?

 

[tconzemi]

Maybe you should tell us what 'that far north' means.

 

[Geordie Polak]

I thought my 'location' did that.... ;-) I'm in Bydgoszcz, Northern Poland.

 

[tconzemi]

I thought my 'location' did that.... ;-) I'm in Bydgoszcz, Northern Poland.

Ok, did not know Bydgoszcz, but with the recent expansion of Great White Egret in Europe, they must occur in northern Poland I guess

 

[Sangahyando]

Around here, which is farther west but also at least as far up north, Great White Egret are common practically throughout the year. Also, spring is approaching.

 

[lou salomon]

very much sounds like a great white egret. nowadays not rare at all.

 

[dantheman]

Don't know if leucistic or albino Grey Heron can be ruled out on the description - they do occur.

Have seen different species associating together of course but not necessarily as closely eg in flight as single species do.

 

[stevethehydra]

Don't know if leucistic or albino Grey Heron can be ruled out on the description - they do occur.

Have seen different species associating together of course but not necessarily as closely eg in flight as single species do.

Likewise... although he did say that he thought it was something else e.g. a large gull at first... it sounds like at that distance/quality of view it might not have been possible to tell the difference in structure between Great Egret and Grey Heron (GE proportionately longer-necked, GH longer-winged and heavier-bodied...)

Were the 4 birds all flying together as a group, or just coincidentally landing in the same tree around the same time?

 

[lou salomon]

it is clear that we won't be able to ID it with 100% certainty from this description. but on likelyness you will have at least 777 great white egrets against 1 leucistic grey heron!

 

[Geordie Polak]

Thanks for the replies.

I know it's difficult to ID just from my brief description. However, in my opinion and based on my experience, this was a grey heron (but white). The thing that makes me want to discount the great white egret, apart from the fact that I've never seen one round here, is that the 4 birds definitely seemed to be flying up the river together as a group (a maximum of about 10 metres between any of them, and the fact that with a huge forest of trees to land in, they landed in the same one. If it was a great white egret, he's very alone in these parts and trying to meet new friends

Does anyone know how rare leucistic grey herons are? Having just googled an image of them, it definitely fits with what we saw.

 

[AlanMatthews]

In forty years of fairly regular birding I've never seen a leucisic Grey Heron, and they are really common here

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Does anyone know how rare leucistic grey herons are? Having just googled an image of them, it definitely fits with what we saw.

They are infrequent but they do occur. One I saw had previously been claimed as a Great White Egret...

Stephen

 

[Geordie Polak]

Does anyone know if grey herons have territories or do they tend to move around? Our land is on the river so they have 100's of kms of waterways at their disposal, but it would be great to think if it was a leucistic grey heron (and I now believe it was) that it might be around for a while and I could get the chance to photograph it.

 

[eddy the eagle]

I have seen many Great white egrets in Estonia a lot further north than Poland......Eddy

 

[pbrain]

Walking in the north of Germany recently I disturbed a grey heron that took flight. A few seconds later it was followed by a white variant. Egrets and particularly great egrets are not recorded here. I am thinking that it was a leucistic grey heron?

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Walking in the north of Germany recently I disturbed a grey heron that took flight. A few seconds later it was followed by a white variant. Egrets and particularly great egrets are not recorded here. I am thinking that it was a leucistic grey heron?

Where in Germany´s North are you that you do not have Great White Egret in winter in recent years?

In areas of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein where I have been birding, you see them regularly , though in some of these areas still less common than Grey heron.

 

[pbrain]

Schleswig-Holstein (around Plön). Indeed, I did a little more digging and see that great egrets have been making their way further north. I guess as grey herons and great egrets frequent the same habitats, the most likely explanation is that the two birds were together in the same place. I will go again soon and take a more careful and closer look.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Schleswig-Holstein (around Plön). Indeed, I did a little more digging and see that great egrets have been making their way further north. I guess as grey herons and great egrets frequent the same habitats, the most likely explanation is that the two birds were together in the same place. I will go again soon and take a more careful and closer look.

That´s a nice birding area, I was born in that region

 

[pbrain]

It is a nice area. I was born in New Zealand, but very much enjoy living (and birding) in and around Plön. I'll let you know if I manage to confirm great egret. I'll head out again this weekend for a look.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I did a little more digging and see that great egrets have been making their way further north.

They are considerably further north these days than Germany - in the last two decades, they have become common breeders right up through Poland and the Baltic States. A relatively small number of these northern birds even wintering in recent years, but most move a little south, many presumably on the north German coast and inland watercourses.