Coastal Carolina

Botaurus lentiginosus HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 23 inches Wingspan: 45 inches * Medium-sized wading bird * Dark brown upperparts * Underparts streaked brown and white * Black malar streak * Yellow bill with dark culmen * Black primaries and secondaries * Sometimes "freezes" with neck held upwards * Immatures similar to adults but lack the malar streak Similar species: Least Bittern is much smaller with buff wing coverts. Immature Night-Herons have white spotting or streaking on the upperparts, lack the black malar streak, have thicker bills, and lack the black primaries and secondaries (a useful field mark in flight).

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Nycticorax nycticorax HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 20 inches Wingspan: 44 inches * Sexes similar * Fairly small, stocky, short-legged and short-necked heron * Bill medium-sized and pointed * Tucks neck in close to body in flight and at rest, rarely extending it Adult: * Red eyes, legs yellow * Black bill * Black crown and back * White face, throat, foreneck, chest and belly * Blue-gray wings * Two long, white, filamentous plumes extending from back of head in alternate plumage Juvenile: * Eyes yellowish to amber, legs dull greyish * Yellow base to bill * Brown head, neck, chest and belly streaked with buff and white * Wings and back darker brown with large white spots at the tips of the feathers; spots especially large on the greater secondary coverts Immature: * Acquires full adult plumage in its third year * First year birds are similar to juvenile, but have less extensive spotting on upperwings and a dark cap * Second year birds resemble the adult, but have a brown neck and wings contrasting with darker brown cap and back Similar species: Adults are unmistakable. Immatures can be separated from American Bittern by pale spotting on the upperwing, lack of black neck spot, different shape, stouter bills and more even upperwing coloration in flight. Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron has smaller spots on greater secondary coverts, smaller spots on head and neck, thicker bill, and longer legs. Immature Black Crowns can show a variety of plumage characters so are best separated from immature Yellow-crowns by their smaller, thinner bill and shorter legs.

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Bubulcus ibis HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 17 inches Wingspan: 37 inches * Sexes similar * Fairly small * Short, thick pointed bill * White body plumage * Tucks neck in close to body in flight and often at rest, rarely extending it * Often seen feeding in pastures or other open habitats away from water Adult alternate: * Only very briefly attains full alternate plumage * Deep red bill * Deep red legs * Buffy feathering around the head, neck and back Adult basic: * Bill dull orange or yellow * Legs dull orange * Entirely white body plumage Immature: * Black bill turns pale yellow by early fall * Dusky legs Similar species: Quite unlike any other heron. Much smaller than Great Egret or "Great White" Heron. Smaller than Snowy Egret and immature Little Blue Heron and with orange instead of dark or bicolored bills.

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Ardea herodias HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 38 inches Wingspan: 70 inches * Sexes similar * Huge long-legged long-necked wader * Usually holds neck in an "S" curve at rest and in flight * Long, thick, yellow bill Adult: * White crown and face * Black plume extending from above and behind eye to beyond back of head * Brownish-buff neck with black-bordered white stripe down center of foreneck * Blue-gray back, wings and belly * Black shoulder * Shaggy neck and back plumes in alternate plumage Immature: * Black cap * Brownish-gray back and upperwings * Lacks shaggy neck and back plumes * Lacks black plume extending from behind eye "Great White Heron": * White morph of Great Blue Heron * Large yellow bill * Yellow legs * White plumage * Single white plume extending back from above eye * Found only in South Florida, rarely north along the coast Similar species: Tricolored Heron has white belly. Reddish Egret and Little Blue Heron are smaller, and lack white on head and yellow in bill. "Great White Heron" could be confused with Great Egret but is larger, with yellow legs and the single head plume coming from behind the eye.

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HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 38 inches Wingspan: 70 inches * Sexes similar * Huge long-legged long-necked wader * Usually holds neck in an "S" curve at rest and in flight * Long, thick, yellow bill Adult: * White crown and face * Black plume extending from above and behind eye to beyond back of head * Brownish-buff neck with black-bordered white stripe down center of foreneck * Blue-gray back, wings and belly * Black shoulder * Shaggy neck and back plumes in alternate plumage Immature: * Black cap * Brownish-gray back and upperwings * Lacks shaggy neck and back plumes * Lacks black plume extending from behind eye "Great White Heron": * White morph of Great Blue Heron * Large yellow bill * Yellow legs * White plumage * Single white plume extending back from above eye * Found only in South Florida, rarely north along the coast Similar species: Tricolored Heron has white belly. Reddish Egret and Little Blue Heron are smaller, and lack white on head and yellow in bill. "Great White Heron" could be confused with Great Egret but is larger, with yellow legs and the single head plume coming from behind the eye.

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HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 38 inches Wingspan: 70 inches * Sexes similar * Huge long-legged long-necked wader * Usually holds neck in an "S" curve at rest and in flight * Long, thick, yellow bill Adult: * White crown and face * Black plume extending from above and behind eye to beyond back of head * Brownish-buff neck with black-bordered white stripe down center of foreneck * Blue-gray back, wings and belly * Black shoulder * Shaggy neck and back plumes in alternate plumage Immature: * Black cap * Brownish-gray back and upperwings * Lacks shaggy neck and back plumes * Lacks black plume extending from behind eye "Great White Heron": * White morph of Great Blue Heron * Large yellow bill * Yellow legs * White plumage * Single white plume extending back from above eye * Found only in South Florida, rarely north along the coast Similar species: Tricolored Heron has white belly. Reddish Egret and Little Blue Heron are smaller, and lack white on head and yellow in bill. "Great White Heron" could be confused with Great Egret but is larger, with yellow legs and the single head plume coming from behind the eye.

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Ardea alba HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 32 inches Wingspan: 55 inches * Sexes similar * Large long-legged long-necked wading bird * Usually holds neck in an "S" curve in flight * Long, thick yellow bill * Black legs and feet * Entirely white plumage * Juvenile similar to basic-plumaged adult Adult alternate: * Shaggy neck and back plumes Similar species: Cattle Egret much smaller with a shorter, stubbier bill and pale legs. Snowy Egret is smaller and has black bill and yellow feet. Immature Little blue Heron is smaller and has a pale bill with a black tip, and green legs. Reddish Egrets (white morph) have pale bills with black tips and blue-gray legs. The "Great White" Heron of southern Florida has yellow legs.

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HOW TO IDENTIFY: * Length: 32 inches Wingspan: 55 inches * Sexes similar * Large long-legged long-necked wading bird * Usually holds neck in an "S" curve in flight * Long, thick yellow bill * Black legs and feet * Entirely white plumage * Juvenile similar to basic-plumaged adult Adult alternate: * Shaggy neck and back plumes Similar species: Cattle Egret much smaller with a shorter, stubbier bill and pale legs. Snowy Egret is smaller and has black bill and yellow feet. Immature Little blue Heron is smaller and has a pale bill with a black tip, and green legs. Reddish Egrets (white morph) have pale bills with black tips and blue-gray legs. The "Great White" Heron of southern Florida has yellow legs.

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