Blue Heron near Humpback Bay
Observation: Unusual bird sighting of Blue Heron near Humpback Bay in Perryville, Alaska. Seen maybe once before in 2007; Noticed the bird after a storm.
Audubon Alaska Consult: (2015-11-10) Beth Peluso, Audubon Alaska writes, "From the posture in the photos, it does look like a large heron, with the long neck held curved in flight and the long legs sticking out back. I know Great Blue Herons nest at least as far north as Juneau, as there is a rookery there." Peluso continues, "However, given the location of the sighting (I had to look up that Perryville is on the AK Peninsula!), another possibility is that this could be the European species Grey Heron. It looks very similar to the North American Great Blue Heron, and I don’t think from those photos it’s really possible to tell. I’m not an expert on the differences, but one of the field marks to look for is the color of the feathers on the thighs—in Grey Heron adults they’re white, but chestnut or rusty on Great Blue Heron."
Here's a short description of the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) and Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) with photos provided by Wildscreen ARKive.
Peluso ask's, "Did the bird stick around?" & "Did anyone get closer photos of it?" - Beth
LEO says: Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America. It is seen standing silently along inland rivers or lakeshores, or flying high overhead, with slow wingbeats, its head hunched back onto its shoulders. Highly adaptable, it thrives around all kinds of waters from subtropical mangrove swamps to desert rivers to the coastline of southern Alaska. With its variable diet it is able to spend the winter farther north than most herons, even in areas where most waters freeze. A form in southern Florida (called "Great White Heron") is slightly larger and entirely white.
(Above image) Great Blue Heron migration - Northern populations east of Rockies are migratory, some going to Caribbean, Central America, or northern South America. Migrates by day or night, alone or in flocks. Some wander well to the north in late summer. Populations along Pacific Coast may be permanent residents, even as far north as southeastern Alaska. Audubon - Guide to North American Birds M. Tcheripanoff
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