What are those white birds?

[jegsnakkernorsk]

I don't see it posted in any of the forums but hear the question enough while in the parks and at the resorts that I thought I would answer it here in the Attractions and Strategies forum so that people planning their vacation will know before they go... what are those white birds?

Audobon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary website has a great page that works as a 101 on IDing the white birds you see at their sanctuary - and you also see at WDW.

Perhaps you have a photo of a bird at WDW you want help identifying? Post it here.

Also please NEVER feed these birds. That is a thread I have seen on the forums...


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Larger white birds:

Great Egret
bill: adult-- thin and straight, darker upper mandible, yellow lower; immature-- thin and straight, yellow
legs: dark
neck: thin
head: all feathered
hunt: visual hunter; stands erect or crouching and then stabs at prey

Wood Stork
bill: adult-- thick, grayish, slightly curved down; immature-- thick, yellow, slightly curved down
legs: dark with pinkish feet
neck: thick
head: adult-- no feathers; immature-- fuzzy looking but going bald
hunt: tactile hunter; sweeps open bill back and forth through the water until it touches something to eat


Smaller white birds

Little Blue Heron, immature

bill: straight, two-tone blue-gray from head half way and then dark
legs: yellowish to greenish
hunt: visual hunter; stands erect or crouching and stabs at prey; tends to criss-cross same area

Snowy Egret
bill: straight, black
legs: black with yellow feet
hunt: visual hunter; stands erect or crouching and stabs at prey; tends to move away from area just hunted

White Ibis
bill: curved down, red to red-orange
legs: red to red orange
hunt: tactile hunter; walks with head down probing in mud or under aquatic vegetation with slightly open bill

Cattle Egret
bill: yellow
legs: yellow
hunt: visual hunter; stands erect to locate then runs to it and stabs at prey

 

[dmccarty]

Corkscrew is a great little preserve to visit. It has a small stand of old growth Cypress that has a elevated boardwalk. If people are down near Ft. Myers it is worth a visit.

I spent a bit of time at Corkscrew back in the late 80's, early 90's, working to clean the place up.

Quite a number of rare birds, such as Wood Storks, can be seen in the right season.

Worth a visit for anyone in the area.

Later,
Dan