HKBWS BBS 香港觀鳥會新聞組


    
      
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        Discussion Area 討論區 >> Bird Identification 鳥類辨識 >>  Bird ID, please help
        
(Message started by: Forrest FONG on Jun 24^th, 2005, 8:41pm)

Title: Bird ID, please help
Post by Forrest FONG on Jun 24^th, 2005, 8:41pm

Below is an email received by HKBWS seeking assistance on bird ID.
Anyone please help!

"Dear HKBWS

I live on Lamma Island in the Yung Shue Long Valley and for the past couple of hours I have been on the internet trying, unsuccessfully, to identify a bird seen in this valley today as I could not find it in my "Birds of Hong Kong & South China".

He stood with neck high similar to a cattle egret (about the same height too) but had a black beak (quite long straight and sharp), black legs, black upper wing, black head top with the black making a vee shape down the back of the head towards the neck, the rest of the colouring was white. Smooth, no visible tufts. I did not see it in flight.

I have lived in this valley for over ten years so have seen pond herons, night herons and cattle egret here fairly regularly.

Thank you for any help you may be able to give.

Best wishes
Marilyn"

Title: Re: Bird ID, please help
Post by little_dolphin on Jun 24^th, 2005, 11:48pm

Perhaps it's a Pacific Reef Egret (Egretta sacra). That's the only bird I know that has the size of a cattle egret but black. I saw one two seeks ago on the rocky shores of Tai Tam.