Huh What's Going On Over There
by Wild Thing
Title
Huh What's Going On Over There
Artist
Wild Thing
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The following information is not entirely correct ... as we have a large colony of great white herons here in Wisconsin along the Mississippi River ...
The Great White Heron
The great white heron (not to be confused with the great egret, for which "great white heron" was once a common name). It is found only in south Florida and some parts of the Caribbean. The great white heron differs from other great blues in bill morphology, head plume length, and in having a total lack of pigment in its plumage. It averages somewhat larger than the sympatric race Ardea herodias wardi and may be the largest race in the species. In a survey of A. h. occidentalis in Florida, males were found to average 3.02 kg (6.7 lb) and females average 2.57 kg (5.7 lb), with a range for both sexes of 2 to 3.39 kg (4.4 to 7.5 lb). This is mainly found near salt water, and was long thought to be a separate species. Birds intermediate between the normal morph and the white morph are known as W�rdemann's heron; these birds resemble a "normal" great blue with a white head.
The theory that great white heron may be a separate species (A. occidentalis) from great blue heron has again been given some support by David Sibley.
Their call is a harsh croak. The heron is most vocal during the breeding season, but will call occasionally at any time of the year in territorial disputes or if disturbed. Nonvocal sounds include a loud bill snap, which males use to attract a female or to defend a nest site and which females use in response to bachelor males or within breeding pairs. The bill snap may be analogous the territorial song of passerines. Bill clappering, the rapid chattering of the tips of the bill, is very common between paired herons.
Their hardiness is such that individuals often remain through cold northern winters, as well, so long as fish-bearing waters remain unfrozen (which may be the case only in flowing water such as streams, creeks and rivers).
Uploaded
April 30th, 2016
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