Little vs Snowy Egret? (1 Viewer)

[George Edwards]

Would someone please be able to give me a few pointers to distinguish the little egret from the snowy egret? The first three pics are from Santa Catarina, Brazil, April (so autumn). Pic 1 is one unknown bird, Pic 2 & 3 is a different similar unknown bird with cattle tyrant for scale, Pic 4 & 5 (for comparison), I've already posted, and were taken in December (so winter) in the Camargues, France, and were identified as Little Egret.

The Brazilian egrets have yellow feet, dark legs with a lighter "back of thigh and knee", dark bills with yellow just before eye. The French birds have darker legs, dirty yellow feet, dark beaks all the way to the eye, or at least no "yellow spectacles".

So I would like to know if the Brazilian birds (pics 1, 2, 3) are Snowy or Little (or other?!) and why ideally. Thanks.

 

[George Edwards]

Just found the snowy egret entry in Collins (vagrants at back) and I think I answered my own question already - pics 1,2,3 must be snowy because "yellowish rear to lower tarsus" (=lower leg?), "more saturated yellow toes", "bright yellow lores" (="spectacles"?) …

 

[njlarsen]

Look also at the Opus entries for these species, there is a link to an Id essay comparing the two species based on experience from the Caribbean. In Brazil, I would expect little egret to be a major rarity, just as snowy is a major rarity in Europe.

Niels

 

[George Edwards]

Many thanks, Niels. The comparison essay is just what I was looking for, with a few "watch-out-fors" with juveniles and breeding colouration. Very handy to see the photos side by side. I think I've finally sorted out cattle, little, snowy and great…