I'm wondering if anyone has ever seen an Albino Blue Heron. I was bowhunting a river bottom a few weeks ago up here in Wisconsin, and I saw what appeared to be an Albino Blue Heron. It was in a pond feeding, and a regular looking Blue Heron came in and landed right next to it. They looked identical, except for the fact that one was completely white. Just wondering how rare this is, as I may try to get some pictures if I get lucky enough to see it again.
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More than likely a Snowy Egret.
There raising whooping cranes at necedah national refuge. they have been ranging out from refuge recently. i dont know about size comparison between herons and whoopers but observed 3 whoopers at necedah sunday and was surprised at size, i thought they would be bigger. i have seen small white cranes on mississippi river, not that familiar with cranes maybe you seen one of these species. was you hunting near necedah? usually whoopers have radio collars and a white dept. of interior truck following with antennas close by. :-)
I hunt northwest of Eau Claire about 30 miles or so. It's three hours or so down to Necedah.
I think Mark may be right, but I'm not sure. I looked up a few pictures of Snowy Egrets on the web, and thats what it looked like, as far as I can remember anyway. It seems that after turning thirty in July, my memory is slipping like a cape thats layed in the sun for two days!
It was likely a Great White Heron, a cousin of the Great Blue Heron. I've seen a lot more of these this year in Indiana. If it was in fact an albino Blue Heron, it should have had pink legs, bill, and eyes. If it was a Great White Heron, it should have orange legs and yellow bill.
that is what it is (common)
While there are cattle egrets, great egrets, etc...the blue heron does have a white phase that occurrs. Same crest, same tassle down the neck, its real.
There is snowy egrets, cattle egrets and great egrets in North America but also a color phase of the Great Blue Heron which is totally white. It IS the same species not a cousin, just a different subspecies and lives primarily in Florida down the Central America. The Great White Herons I have skinned, probably about 20 or so, are as large or slightly larger than the GBH from Pennsylvania but MUCH smaller than a bunch I worked on from Alberta.
see this website for more info http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Great_Blue_Heron.html
not found there! great egrets are in Wis and In. same size too as GBH. snowy,cattel are there but rare and smaller. great egrets are on the move, also more and more of them everwhere.
are youthe taxidermologist of old?
Egrets have dark to black legs and feet. The Birds I have been seeing have orange legs and feet. The plumage does not look like an Egret. All signs points to Heron.
Look in a bird encycylopedia. There is a little blue heron that is white in the immmature phase.