Little Egret with yellow LEGS? (1 Viewer)

[gmax]

Hello everybody,
yesterday evening I managed to shoot a couple of pics to (what it seems to be) a Little Egret (Egretta Garzetta) with bright yellow legs, not only feet - only the front part was a bit blackish; my books don't report such feature except in Snowy Egret (Egretta Thula), which should be out of place in my area (NE Italy) as far as I know. Do juvenile Little Egrets show such a feature? Any other ideas? What about Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis)?
One more thing: its bill was not completely black - the lower initial "portion" was a greyish pink ... but shots were taken at sunset, with a warm red misleading light
As soon as possible I'll upload a pic, in the meantime if I could get some ID hints I would be very grateful
Thank you,
Max

 

[Bubbs]

Sounds not unlike a Western Reef Heron. I take it it was too small for Great White Egret?????


John.

 

[HH75]

Hi Max,
Juvenile Little Egrets regularly show obviously yellowish (though often green-yellow) legs, with black limited to the front. A pinkish base to the lower mandible is also regularly seen on this species.
Snowy Egret is best distinguished by its bright yellow lores (can be yellowish on Little, though seldom if ever as yellow as on Snowy), and would be most unlikely in Italy (though not impossible). Western Reef Heron should usually differ in showing some pale colouration on the bill which would tend to be yellowish/ brownish and more extensive than what you have described.
I look forward to seeing the pics, though!
Regards,
Harry

 

[London Birder]

I'd say make sure you rule out juv Little

 

[RedBishop]

I've once saw something similer

See attached. I saw this Little Egret a year or so ago. Showing to some degree in the image, you can see that the greenish color of the feet is extending to the whole leg. I've never seen that on any other individual since than.

 

[Bubbs]

I don't think Little Egrets with unusual leg colouration is that rare.

British Birds Vol 74; 41. 1981: Little Egrets with green legs and feet. 'On 9th August 1980, at Porto Lago, Greece, J.I.blinclow and I noticed two Little Egrets exhibiting unusual colouration of legs and feet. Resting upon a concrete groyne and in company with a number of other Little Egrets, one individual displayed bright olive green legs and feet with a narrow blackish line along the outer side of each tarsus. This line extended from just below the tibio tarsal joint to just above the foot on each leg and was discernible at a range of 50m. The legs and feet of the second individual, nearby, were similar to those described above'....BWP states that olive green legs and feet are a feature of nestling Little Egrets and that juveniles and non-breeding adults exhibit black legs and grey-green and yellow (tinged green) feet respectively. While it cannot be stated with any certainty that the above observed individuals were juveniles, the above observation suggest that at least some juve Little Egrets may retain the the olive green legs and feet of the nestling stage, if only for a short period.

If this is the case, the danger of confusion of this species with closely similar Western reef Heron becomes further apparent.

British Birds vol 75; 535. 1982. Little Egrets with green legs and feet. Another piece on unusual colouration.

John.

 

[deborah4]

non-breeding juv cattle? Slightly off range but apparently expanding. Why rule out Little though LB?

 

[London Birder]

no Debs, I meant 'I'd say, make sure you rule out Little' .. sorry, my fault (ammended).

oddly enough I got a call t'other night from a friend in a panic over a yellow-legged juv Little

 

[deborah4]

doh! It's the weather ..

 

[London Birder]

tis a little warm for sure.

 

[gmax]

non-breeding juv cattle? Slightly off range but apparently expanding. Why rule out Little though LB?

Well, there ARE a few cattle egrets at the reserve in these days, but I haven't noticed a yellow-legged one so far ... perhaps its bill will be the best clue, I'll check as soon as I get home (my memory is fading )

 

[jforgham]

I'd say make sure you rule out juv Little

Here's photo of the first recorded Little Egret actually in Bishop's Stortford. (Oct 2005) Found exhausted walking down the road and taken to vets where it was cared for before dying 24 hours later. Was deeemed a first year bird, probably having come from the breeding colony in Holland. Muscle wastage and lack of nutrition were reasons for death. Note the colour of the legs. This was, at most 5 months old.
Jono

 

[Richard D]

In my experience (North Kent) Juv Little Egrets frequently have pale legs - often straw coloured, with a very pale bill - with the blue area very prominent. I think it's one of the few species Collins doesn't cover well.

 

[Carlos U]

Juv Little Egret. I've seen juveniles like this several times around this time in Doñana (thousands of Little Egret pairs nesting in the area every year), just after the breeding season.

 

[gmax]

Hello everybody,
yesterday evening I managed to shoot a couple of pics to (what it seems to be) a Little Egret (Egretta Garzetta) with bright yellow legs,

Thank you all for your comments!
I've just posted here in my gallery a pic ... I hope it's detailed enough to help its ID; if necessary I may add a few more pics
Thanks,
Max

 

[gmax]

I think it's one of the few species Collins doesn't cover well.

I agree ... although the Collins (large format) is still one of my best reference books. Thank you Richard ...
Max

 

[jforgham]

Thank you all for your comments!
I've just posted here in my gallery a pic ... I hope it's detailed enough to help its ID; if necessary I may add a few more pics
Thanks,
Max

Great photo of juv L Egret. Lower mandible is always diagnostic for id and, as this thread has shown, leg colour can be variable although I think the yellower/greener the whole leg, the more likely it is to be a first year bird.

 

[Richard D]

I agree ... although the Collins (large format) is still one of my best reference books. Thank you Richard ...
Max

Yes it's still one of the best.

Your photo is superb!

Richard