I thought all Snowy Egrets had yellow feet and faces and those with red feet and faces were Little Egrets, but I could be wrong because those both look like Snowy's to me too.
Ah! I found an answer at Surfbirds.com (http://www.surfbirds.com/namericanbirds/heron-egret.html) According to them the area in front of the bill turns red during breeding season, something that isn't in many of the guides apparently.
Ah! I found an answer at Surfbirds.com (http://www.surfbirds.com/namericanbirds/heron-egret.html) According to them the area in front of the bill turns red during breeding season, something that isn't in many of the guides apparently.
Called high breeding color, many ciconiiforms develop brighter or different colors in the bare skin areas during the peak of the breeding season. Apparently hormonally induced. Great egrets turn lime green, tricolors and little blues intense blue, white ibis more saturated red, etc.
I echo Peter's comments - though I think there can be some variation in the color. Great Egrets usually have a greenish tinge but it depends on when you photograph it as the color change isn't instant. As for the feet... I'm not aware of Snowy Egrets feet changing colors... thought they were always gold?
You might be right Luke but i have seen feet look almost orange. Both these images were shot on the same day, same place and right now during mating season so that was why I was confused. Kinda cool how they get so beautiful during season. thanks all
I recently posted a Snowy in the Avian forum in peak breeding colors. Face and feet bright orange and some people commented that they seemed too bright orange - but were actual colors, no extra saturation at all.
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8 replies- Luke
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Sandy r