Adult dark morph © Mohandas Giriyappa eBird S43518091 Macaulay Library ML 89622721
Adult dark morph © William Stephens
Adult white morph © Christoph Moning
Immature dark morph © Christoph Moning
Immature white morph © Afsar Nayakkan
+ 2
© sasidharan manekkara

Western Reef-Heron Egretta gularis

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Identification

POWERED BY MERLIN

Gangly heron with significant variation in plumage. Distinct dark morph is slate-gray with a white throat, while the palest morph is white with a yellow bill and lores. Pale gray intermediate morphs can also be found. Little Egret can look similar, but it has a darker bill than the white morph of the Western Reef-Heron. Primarily a coastal inhabitant, foraging on shorelines and in estuaries, but can also be found at some inland water bodies.

POWERED BY MERLIN