little egrets 2

	Herons, Egrets & Spoonbills - 1B - LITTLE EGRET WITH DARK EYES
03 aug 2009
	(scroll down - PAGE LOADS FROM TOP TO TOE)

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MY QUESTION IS:

On the first of may 2009 I photographed an adult Little Egret Egretta
garzetta with dark greyish eyes and a pink to purple facial skin.
As a rule the eyes of Little Egrets are pale yellow in both adults and juveniles.
Are there any other records of Little Egrets with dark eyes? Norman Deans van Swelm

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Little Egret with prey 01052009 2332 Rockanje, The Netherlands

Little Egret 01052009 2332 Rockanje, The Netherlands

Little Egret 01052009 Rockanje, The Netherlands

Little Egret with dark eyes 01052009 Rockanje, The Netherlands

RESPONSE

Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 10:45 PM

Subject: Re: [MEBirdNet] Little Egret with dark eyes

May be because of breeding time colors change. I dont have any scientific
information but i find two photos from nearly same period of the year,
similar little egret photos. Photos taken in Meric Delta, near Greek border
of Turkey. I attach them to the mail for you, mines eyes are also looks a
bit greyish. I havent noticed it before. Ozkan Uner | www.europho.to

Little Egret Egretta garzetta with dark eyes 14-04-2005 2 Meric Delta, W.Turkey near Greek border c Ozkan Uner

Little Egret Egretta garzetta with dark eyes 14-04-2005 1 Meric Delta, W.Turkey near Greek border c Ozkan Uner

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RESPONSE

Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 6:15 AM

Subject: Re: [BirdsinRussia] Fw: [MEBirdNet] Little Egret with dark eyes

To add some information about Eastern Mediterranean, more specifically
Bulgaria: in our country on the Balkans my nearly 20-year field experience
show Little Egrets with pale eyes only and bluish facial skin. Photos and
video can be seen at our web-site:
http://www.fotobiota.com/page4us.php?sec=gal&t_id=2&g_id=96&maincat=1
Dr. Boris P. Nikolov, Assist. Prof. Bulgarian Ornithological Centre
Institute of Zoology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. 1000 Sofia BULGARIA
E-mail: lanius.bg@gmail.com
www.fotobiota.com - FotoBiota: wildlife photography & video in stock
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RESPONSE

Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 8:06 AM

Subject: Re: [MEBirdNet] Little Egret with dark eyes

At 24 April 2009 in the colony on Bahrif island, Aswan, Egypt, I took also some photo's from 1Little Egret
(attached) with about the same colours . As Ozkan Uner said, maybe only during a (short) period in breeding
time these colours occur. It is certainly not a common phenomenon in Aswan. Dick Hoek

Little Egret Egretta garzetta with dark eyes Bahrif Island, Aswan, Egypt 1 24-04-2009 c Dick Hoek

Little Egret Egretta garzetta with dark eyes Bahrif Island, Aswan, Egypt 2 24-04-2009 c Dick Hoek

RESPONSE

Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009

Hi Norman and Ozkan.I am a british birder and have just been to north east China,where I digiscoped
this strange egret.I sent some pics to the oriental bird club and asked for ID help.Martin williams put
me on to your posts.I was stunned by the similarity of the birds,even the thick based bill with the curved
culmen.My bird didn't seem to have the two head plumes,but these might have been lost.The bird always
looked thicker/shorter necked than the little egrets. Mike Parker

Little Egret-Egretta garzetta with dark eyes 11-05-2009 4 Beidahe, Hebai, NE China c Mike Parker

Little Egret Egretta garzetta with dark eyes 11-05-2009 2 Beidahe, Hebai, NE China c Mike Parker

Little Egret Egretta garzetta with dark eyes 11-05-2009 3 Beidahe, Hebai, NE China c Mike Parker

Little Egret Egretta garzetta with dark eyes 11-05-2009 5 Beidahe, Hebai, NE China c Mike Parker

Little Egret--------------->1>>

Little Egret-2-dark eyes>1b>>

Arabian Reef Heron----->2>>

Grey Heron--------------->3>>

Purple Heron------------->4>>

Great Blue Heron-------->5>>

Spoonbill------------------>6>>

http://www.faberart.toya.net.pl/egretta/1.jpg

http://www.faberart.toya.net.pl/egretta/2.jpg

http://www.faberart.toya.net.pl/egretta/3.jpg

http://www.faberart.toya.net.pl/egretta/4.jpg