Harris's Sparrow - A Very Rare Visitor to New Brunswick

First Winter Harris's Sparrow Showing Speckled Crown and Pink Bill  [Photo by Marbeth]

On the 14th of December, 2024 during the Sackville Christmas Bird Count a Harris’s Sparrow was discovered at a feeder in the count circle at Westcock, NB. The Harris’s Sparrow is a very rare find for New Brunswick being a species of the central part of North America. The bird remained at that location for only one day so only a few birders were fortunate enough to see it. Some photos in this blog post were taken of that individual. Westcock is in Westmorland County, near the Nova Scotia border on the isthmus of Chignecto, fairly close to the eastern end of the Bay of Fundy.

The Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) is the only bird species to breed only in Canada. All other species overlap into the United States. It is a member of the Passerellidae family and is closely related to the White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows.

The breeding range covers Northwest Territories, Nunavut and south to northern Manitoba, and northwestern Ontario. From there they migrate to their wintering grounds mainly through the central Great Plains. Rarely they will migrate through other parts of the US and eastern Canada. Peak fall migration is in October and spring migration is mostly in April. They spend their winters from southeastern Alaska, southern British Columbia, Utah, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, south to Texas, Arkansas, and New Mexico. They are most commonly found in the winter in central Kansas, central Oklahoma and northern Texas.

In its usual range this species is fairly common. On the breeding grounds it prefers mixed taiga forest habitat that overlaps between tundra and forest. These are open tundra areas dotted with spruce. In the winter it prefers dense deciduous woodlands often near water and adjacent to open fields, farmland and roadsides. It can also be found around bird feeders, hedgerows and brush piles. On the wintering grounds it associates with White-throated Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. 

First Winter Harris's Sparrow Showing White Breast Patch and Side Streaking

[Photo by Jim Carroll]

The Harris’s Sparrow is a large sparrow, 16-19 cm long. In breeding plumage the adults show a black face, crown and throat and a large conical pink bill. The plumage is striking and unique. The back is brownish and striped and the breast is white. The cheeks are pale silvery gray to brown coloured. The whitish underparts are dressed up with a bold black bib and heavy black streaking on the sides and flanks. Both male and female aldults look the same. In winter the black on the crown of adults becomes flecked with brown or white. 

The juveniles or first winter birds (which our specimen is) are less brilliantly marked. They resemble winter adults but with less black, and a white throat bordered by dark malar stripes. The distinctive post-ocular cheek patch is ochre or chestnut coloured.

First Winter Harris's Sparrow Showing Chestnut Cheek Patch

[Photo by Jim Carroll]

The Harris’s Sparrow is such a distictive species it is not often mistaken for any other. The only one (which is not common here anymore) is the House Sparrow. Most birders would not make that mistake because the House Sparrow is much smaller, has a shorter tail, lacks the pink bill and is a bird of open spaces. The Harris’s Sparrow is a bird of bushy cover and does not linger in the open.

 

Harris's Sparrow Showing Chestnut Cheek Patch, White Throat and Long Tail     [Internet Photo]

                                                 

The Harris’s Sparrow likes to feed on the ground and then sit high up in trees. It moves around by hopping and often sits with a limb or some other object between you and it. It is a difficult species to draw out of the bushes because it does not respond well to spishing. It is a strong flier and usually flies in a straight line with strong wing beats interspersed with a closed-wing glide. Its song is a high, clear whistle similar to that of the White-throated Sparrow, usually two or three notes delivered at the same pitch; seeeee seeee seeee. The call note is a low, rapid metallic sound. 

This sparrow was named after an amateur American ornithologist, Edward Harris (1799-1863). For a long time the nesting habits of the Harris’s Sparrow were a mystery. To find a nest of this species became one of the great quests of North American ornithologists. It was not until about 100 years after the Europeans first found this species here in North America that a nest was actually found. In 1931, George M. Sutton found an active Harris’s Sparrow nest near Churchill, Manitoba, 91 years after it was first described. 

The breeding territory of the Harris’s Sparrow is about 2 hectares in size. Nests are well hidden on the ground under a thick bush or conifer or in a mossy depression in a thick clump of grass. It is cup shaped and built of twigs, grass, moss and lichens and lined with fine grass. Three to five greenish or grayish eggs spotted with reddish brown are laid and incubated for approximately 13 days. The young fledge in about 3 weeks. If the first nest is destroyed a second may be attempted. This species is one of the least studied North American sparrows. 

Harris’s Sparrows feed on the ground scratching the turf looking for food. Their preferred diet is made up of seeds, Carex sedges, grasses and Scirpus bulrushes. They will also eat fruit mainly black crowberries, mountain bearberries and various Vaccinium fruits (cranberries and blueberries). Their animal protein comes from beetles, flies, spiders, etc. They will even consume pine needles, flower buds and blossoms. As you can see, this is a versatile species! 

There have been recent declines in the total population of the Harris’s Sparrow. That is a bit of a mystery because the species breeds in the far north and is isolated from human interference such as logging and urban development. It is speculated that there is habitat change, however, due to global warming with a change in soil conditions, and an increase in wildfires. It could also bring more predators into their nesting area. 

I have often wondered why all the photos we have of this species are of first winter birds or wintering adults (rarely). When you think about it, we are a very long way from the breeding grounds of this species and we are not close to the migration route. So, the likelihood of an adult in breeding plumage arriving here is remote. Breeding birds are anxious to leave their wintering grounds and make a direct fast trip to their breeding grounds to claim their favourite territory. Most of those are experienced birds or led by experienced birds so they are unlikely to get off-route. So, we will have to be satisfied with the very rare occurence of this species here and most often of first winter birds. We are pleased at least one arrived in Westcock. Of the two I have seen, one was a second-year bird (Syracuse, NY, 1971) and one was a 1st winter bird (Harvey, NB, 2003).

         First Winter Harris's Sparrow Showing Streaked Back and Black Malar Stripes   [Internet Photo]
 

Tundra Swan

 

                                        Tundra Swan Juvenile  [Bev Schneider Photo]

Whenever a Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) is reported from New Brunswick it causes great interest and excitement among birders.  These are birds of the central and western parts of Canada so they very rarely show up here.  On November 11, 2024 a report came in that a Tundra Swan was seen at Gauvreau, near Tracadie-Sheila, NB.  It was moving around and feeding with a flock of Canada Geese but seemed to be returning alone to its favourite place at Gauvreau.  I saw it on November 19, 2024 at Gauvreau.  It was alone, resting on a body of water that goes well inland.  It was alone, no Canada Geese present.  A small group of birders watched and photographed it at a safe, elevated distance.  After resting it came ashore for a preening session.  It fed on the grassy bank above, an area of mown grass.  It seemed unconcerned with the people watching it but we were well away.  Another sighting of 3 swans has been reported this week (Nov. 29-30) in the Hampton area but this has not been confirmed.  It could be that our juvenile Tundra Swan was not alone.

Our earliest specimens of this species are at the NB Museum and are from 1881 and 1906.  After that we had a few unconfirmed reports and no confirmed sightings until the 1980s.  Local birders may have this species on their lists from Chance Harbour, 1983; New Horton, 1983; Grand Lake, 1985; Darlings Island, 1985; and Saint John, 1986.  It is unknown what caused them to migrate this way in the 1980s.  Most of these sightings are of adult birds.

                             Tundra Swan Juvenile  [Bev Schneider Photo]

The Tundra Swan seen at Gauvreau is a juvenile.  I had never seen a juvenile before so this bird was exciting for me.  I have seen Tundra Swans in Ontario where they are relatively common, being on the central flyway.  I have also seen adults in South Carolina and North Carolina.  The sighting in North Carolina was of a flock of 30-35.  Although that was exciting for me, it is not unusual because they winter there.

Tundra Swans formerly were called Whistling Swans.  This name referred to the whistling sound their powerful beating wings make in flight.  The name was changed to Tundra Swan in recent years.  It is also called Slender-necked Swan.  

The Tundra Swan is our smallest swan (132 cm), smaller than the Trumpeter Swan and the Mute Swan, both 152 cm long approximately.   When you see it, however, it does not look small, especially when you compare it to Canada Geese.  The Tundra Swan is our most widespread swan in North America.  However, it is a holarctic species.  As well as North America they summer in most European countries and winter in Algeria, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Nepal, NW Pakistan, Siberia and the islands of the western Pacific.  In North America they breed in the far Arctic from Ungava to the west coast of Alaska including some of the Arctic islands, and along parts of the shoreline of Hudson Bay.  The preferred habitat is tundra ponds and lakes and coastal wetlands.  There are two distinct wintering populations.  The eastern population winters on the coast from southern New Jersey to Georgia with most of them wintering in North Carolina.  The western population winters from southern British Columbia to the Central Valley of California.  The individuals that arrived here probably were from the Hudson Bay or northern Quebec population.  In the winter they prefer back bays, shallow estuaries, open lakes and rivers, and agricultural land.  During migration they move between stopover staging sites.  Some of these are the Great Basin, the eastern Great Lakes, the upper Mississippi Valley and eastern Pennsylvania.  Normally they prefer nonstop flights between these areas.  They fly in ‘V’ formation and can reach speeds of 100 miles per hour especially in favourable winds.  They can fly at altitudes of 8 km.  Peak fall migration is from September to mid-December.  The birds found here must have been blown off their normal fall migration route.  

                                         Tundra Swan Juvenile  [Bev Schneider Photo]

Migrating swans are beautiful to watch and hear.  They fly with their necks outstretched and their eerie haunting sounds are one of the wonders of nature.  They often vocalize into a chorus while flying.  Individually their vocals sound like an abrupt whoo! Sometimes they string it out to a longer whoooooo!

                             Adult Tundra Swans (South Carolina)  [Bev Schneider Photo]

The Tundra Swan has a more slender neck than the Trumpeter or Mute Swan.  The adult is white all over with a black bill.  One has to look carefully at the bill in order to tell this species from the Trumpeter Swan which also is white with a black bill.  The bill in the Tundra Swan is black with a yellowish area at the base.  The bill of the Trumpeter Swan is all black.  At a long distance the yellowish area on the Tundra Swan is not visible so the profile of the bill and head is helpful.  The Tundra Swan has a slightly concave bill and a peak to its head.  The Trumpeter shows a straight line along the bill to the top of the head.  Some say the Tundra Swan looks happy and the Trumpeter Swan looks sad or solemn because of the shape of the head and bill.  The Tundra Swan would not be mistaken for the larger Mute Swan which has an orange and black bill often with a knob on it.  The legs and feet of the juvenile Tundra Swan are gray coloured and those of the adult are black.  The adult female is called a ‘pen’ and the male, a ‘cob’.  See photos above for the noted features.

                                Tundra Swan Juvenile  [Bev Schneider Photo]

The juvenile Tundra Swan is much grayer than the white adult.  As seen in the photos above the gray is concentrated on the head and neck although the much younger juvenile is all gray.  The bill is pinkish except for the tip and base which show a black line.  

Another feature used to distinguish a Tundra Swan from a Trumpeter is the area between the bill base and the eye.  In the Tundra Swan the eye is separated from the bill by a short distance of facial flesh.  In the Trumpeter the black base of the bill seems to touch and envelope the eye.  This might be especially useful in juveniles.

 Tundra Swan Juvenile  [Bev Schneider Photo]

The diet of Tundra Swans includes plant parts mostly seeds, stems roots and tubers of aquatic vegetation.  They plunge their heads and long necks to the bottom and pull up aquatic vegetation.  They will also dabble by upending like many ducks and geese.  They will also graze on sedges, grasses and agricultural crops.  

Tundra Swans pair for life but an adult who has lost a mate will choose another.  Nest building is in late May.  They build a large mounded nest from plant material at an elevated site near open water.  They defend the territory around it vigorously.  3 to 5 eggs are laid and incubation lasts for 30 to 32 days.  It takes 60 to 75 days for the young to fledge.  While they are confined to the nest area they are vulnerable to predators like Arctic Foxes, Parasitic Jaegers, gulls, and even bears.  The young stay with the adults for the first winter migration and they are often joined by last year’s offspring.  They do not reach sexual maturity until 3 or 4 years of age.  

Tundra Swan Juvenile  [Bev Schneider Photo]

The population of this species is presently stable.  It is thought to have doubled from the 1960s to the 1990s.  It is the most common species of swan in North America with a population of around 170,000 in 1990. The European population was estimated at 17,000 in 1990.  The North American population is mostly stable over its range but it is dependent on agriculture on whose crops it depends in winter.  That is because of water pollution in its normal habitat and shrinking agricultural lands.  The main cause of adult mortality is hunting and the ingestion of lead pellets. 

The Tundra Swan genus is sometimes split into two species, the Tundra Swan and the Bewick’s Swan.  The Bewick’s Swan is more Eurasian and the Tundra Swan (Whistling) is more confined to North America.  Ornithologists sometimes separate them into various subspecies.  It is mostly accepted that the species is ‘Tundra Swan’ which includes all of the above.  

The Juvenile Tundra Swan that is visiting here presently should not be alone.  It obviously got separated from its parents.  It needs to make its way to North Carolina.  We hope it is motivated to continue its migration and it knows where to go on its own.  

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

 

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher    [Photo by Marbeth Wilson]

It is an exciting time when a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) appears in New Brunswick.  One has recently appeared in Baie Verte on the east coast, southeast of Shediac (November 2024).  This species is a widespread vagrant and is a rare-to-casual spring or fall visitor here.  This doesn’t happen every year but we have had many reports over the years.  In recent years there have been two individuals appear; one at Point Escuminac in 2009 and one at Big Salmon River Road in June 2024.  They seem to appear mostly across the southern and eastern parts of the province.  

I saw one on 26 June 2002 at Black’s Harbour while I was waiting in line for the ferry.  Another sighting was on 2 June 2011 when I saw and photographed one outside St. Andrews near Ghost Road.  Both were adult birds.  The normal range of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is the south-western US.  It breeds in summer in Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. It winters in southern Mexico, the extreme south of Florida and Central America.  Its preferred habitat is open grasslands with some trees and shrubs.  It also is found in orchards, pastures, golf courses and other agricultural areas.  

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a member of the Kingbird family, Tyrannidae. It is a very long-tailed insectivorous species and is sometimes called a ‘Kingbird on a Stick’.  That is a good name because its tail looks very long and unwieldy. It was formally described in 1789 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin, a German naturalist.  It is one of 13 species placed in the Tyrannus species.  It is most closely related to the Western Kingbird and they are often seen together.  That may explain why birders in New Brunswick saw a Western Kingbird in Aulac one day and later that day a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was found in Baie Verte, just 22 km away.  They may both have been brought north on the same southerly winds.  

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a very pale-bodied flycatcher whose white head contrasts with its dark wings and tail, both of which show flashes of white.  It is 25 to 38 cm long depending on the length of the tail, the male being larger than the female.  The tail looks like a stick hanging on the back of the bird.  No other flycatcher looks so white-headed.  The male’s tail is longer than the female’s.  The bird shows a pinkish wash on the belly, salmon-pink on the flanks and the underwing coverts, and bright red axillaries (armpits).  The female appears duller than the male with a shorter tail.  The juvenile is much duller on the wings and tail than the adults and the tail is much shorter.  Its central tail feathers are edged in reddish brown.  It looks somewhat like the Western Kingbird. 

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Showing Salmon Pink Flanks and Underwing Coverts and Red Axillaries 

The only species one would have to distinguish this species from is the Fork-tailed Flycatcher which also has a long tail.  Their flight is different; the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher exhibits stiff and unbending flight with that long tail, the Fork-tailed shows a wavy tail in flight.  (I noticed this in the Fork-tailed Flycatcher seen on Grand Manan in 2000.)  The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher lacks the black cap of the Fork-tailed Flycatcher and has the salmon-pink underparts.  The juvenile Scissor-tailed Flycatcher would have to be distinguished from the Western Kingbird but it does not have yellow on its belly.

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher can be quite tame, allowing birders to approach.  It is often seen perched on a barbed wire fence, overhead wires, trees or bushes.  It feeds by sallying out to snap up a flying insect or it will take insects from ground vegetation.  It can be aggressive and is known to chase away a hawk.  

                             Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on One of Its Favourite Perches

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher’s main diet consists of grasshoppers, robber-flies and dragonflies.  Most of these are caught by hawking. It undoubtedly eats a greater variety of insects while visiting New Brunswick.  It will also eat berries in winter.  

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher builds its nest in trees and bushes and sometimes in telephone poles.  The male performs a spectacular aerial courtship display.  This includes such acrobatics as somersaults and is called a ‘sky dance’.  That must be something to see with that long streaming tail!  Three to 6 eggs are laid in a cup-shaped nest.  Both adults feed the nestlings.  They are very aggressive in defending the nest.

The vocalizations of this species are not spectacular.  They don’t need to be with a tail like that!  The song is similar to the Western Kingbird and is a series of ‘pip’ notes.  The call note is similar, a ‘pik’ or a nasal ‘chuh’.

                                               Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Adult

This species is significant in culture.  It is the state bird of Oklahoma.  On their official emblem it is depicted with its tail and flight feathers spread out.  It also appears on a commemorative 25-cent coin for Oklahoma and on the Oklahoma licence plate.  A professional soccer team, the FC Tulsa, shows this species on its crest.  This species has even made its way into the televised world, being part of a 2015 National Geographic Kids TV Show.  

In its home range, this species is economically important because of its assistance in grasshopper control.  The population size of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is listed as stable.   It certainly is a welcome and fascinating species to be found occasionally in New Brunswick.

                                    Scissor-tailed Flycatcher  [Photo by Marbeth Wilson]

Connecticut Warbler - Very Rare Warbler for New Brunswick

 Connecticut Warbler Showing Bright White Eyering  [Mark Morse Photo]

The 25th of September, 2024, brought a very rare warbler species for New Brunswick and a couple of good birders together near Black’s Harbour.  The warbler, a Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis), is so rarely found in NB that it excited birders immediately.  The few sightings we have in NB are primarily in the fall.  Along with several undocumented sightings beginning in 1932 one was photographed from Machias Seal Island in 1966 and two were banded on Kent Island in 1972.  Most sightings have been from southwestern NB but a singing male was seen in the north at Eel River Bar in 1974.

The Connecticut Warbler breeds across North America in a relatively narrow band from east central British Columbia across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba to southern Ontario and south into northern parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.  This species winters in north central South America.  It has different spring and fall migration routes.  In the spring it travels northward up the central flyway and in the fall it travels south usually in an area bounded by the Great Lakes and New England and then southward to the Caribbean islands and on to South America.  Those birds that migrate further east fly over the Atlantic Ocean to South America.  

                Connecticut Warbler  Showing Remnant of Hood [Photo by Mark Morse]

The main identifying features of this species are its bold eyering, its unusual shape, and its unusual walking behaviour.  Pete Donne says that its ‘distinctive, round, white, no-nonsense, complete, staring, eyering makes all other characteristics almost superfluous.’  Wow, it would be interesting to hear from those lucky enough to see this individual if the eyering jumped out at them like this!  See the white eyering  on this bird in the two photos above.  

The Connecticut Warbler is a big, bulky oddly-shaped warbler (15 cm long).  It is described as oddly shaped because its head appears slim, tail short and it has a pot belly.  This doesn’t sound like a sleek warbler!  This species is monotypic with the spring plumage showing a bluish-gray hood covering  the head and throat and upper breast, olive-green upperparts, yellow underparts and olive-green on the sides.  The spring female is similar except the hood is brownish and she may have a buffy or whitish throat.  In the fall both genders are duller and the white eyering may be broken behind the eye.  First season birds are similar to the female.  This warbler shows very long undertail coverts and no wing bars.  Note the undertail coverts extend more than halfway to the end of the tail.

The photos in this blog are from the actual fall-plumage bird see at Black’s Harbour.  In the photos above, note the eyering, the olive-green dorsum and yellow underparts, and the pink legs.  The remnants of the hood can be clearly seen.  In the photo shown below note the olive on the sides and the extension of the yellow to include the vent.  The bird appears large and chunky with a short tail extension and a long primary extension (not shown in the photos).

 Connecticut Warbler  Showing Undertail Coverts Extending Over Halfway to the Tail  

                                                             [Photo by Mark Morse]

The behaviour of the Connecticut Warbler makes it hard to see.  It is a ground-loving species and it walks with an odd gait, somewhat like the Ovenbird.  It bounces and tail-bobs as it walks along.  It often sits motionless for long periods.  Its ground-loving behaviour can help distinguish it from the Mourning Warbler which prefers hopping around the branches of trees.  While the Mourning Warbler sits across the branch in ‘normal’ fashion, the Connecticut will sit along the branch, 90º from the ‘normal’ perching behaviour.  When the Connecticut Warbler is nervous it will move its head in odd jerks and it will reverse its position on the branch in 180º hops.  

The Connecticut Warbler is a loner.  It likes to forage in thick tangles close to the ground.  This causes it to be mistaken sometimes for a thrush.  Its preferred habitat is wet moist woodlands, spruce-tamarack forest and bogs, muskeg and poplar thickets.  The song of this warbler is loud and rich.  It consists of halting phrases which gain in volume and tempo. It is described variously but one example is ‘chuckity-chuckity-chuckity-chuck’.  It sounds a bit like the Common Yellowthroat.  

Connecticut Warbler  [Photo by Mark Morse]                                 

Similar species that we need to distinguish the Connecticut Warbler from are the MacGillivray’s Warbler and the Mourning Warbler.  The former would be extremely rare here but we do see the Mourning Warbler.  The Mourning Warbler lacks an eyering and the breeding male plumage shows black on the lower part of the hood as it extends onto the breast.  The occasional Mourning Warbler shows an eyering but they are a smaller warbler, their undertail coverts are shorter, they have brighter underparts, and they lack the peculiar gait.  Occasionally one might confuse a dull female Yellow Warbler or a Common Yellowthroat with the Connecticut Warbler.  But both species are smaller and have a yellowish throat.    

The Connecticut Warbler nests on the ground.  The nest is made of bark pieces and grass and is lined with fine plant materials and mammal hair.  Two to five white eggs marked with brown and lavender are laid and incubated 11 to 12 days by the female.  This species feeds on insects, spiders, berries, seeds and snails.  The young leave the nest by late July and both adults feed them.

Despite the name of the Connecticut Warbler, it is rarely seen in Connecticut.  It was named by Alexander Wilson who first saw this species in Connecticut.  This species is difficult for birders to find.  It is a much sought-after species.  It is easy to mistakenly try to turn other species into this one but it is said that it is difficult to second-guess a real Connecticut Warbler!

                                    Connecticut Warbler  [Photo by Mark Morse]

Four Immature Little Blue Herons

                                                Immature Little Blue Heron from Miramichi

The last week in August, 2024, brought a flight of immature Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea) to the Maritimes.  One was at the Ducks Unlimited Marsh in Miramichi City on 21 August.  One was along the edge of the Nashwaak River at Marysville (Fredericton) on August 23.  One was at Saints Rest Marsh in Saint John on August 27.  One was at Bridgewater, Nova Scotia on August 30.  In all cases the birds stayed for a few days.  

The Little Blue Heron is a rare visitor to New Brunswick.  Most records come from areas near the Bay of Fundy.  The very first record came from Kent Island in 1936.  Usually the reports are for single adults.  However, in 1971 there were 3 at Little Dipper Harbour.  

It is unusual for immature Little Blue Herons to arrive here.  Why was there a flight to the Maritime provinces this summer?  Little Blue Herons breed on the east coast along the southeastern, south-central and Atlantic Coast of North America.  They also breed in extreme southern California.  Those breeding north of southern New Jersey and in the interior migrate to the southern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts for the winter.  Fall migration is normally from late July to late November.  After nesting the young are prone to migrate and some wander as far north as Newfoundland and other parts of southern Canada.  Understanding this and the fact that some breed and winter as far north as southern Maine, we can now understand why we had at least 4 individuals arrive here (assuming we have 4 separate individuals).  

                                        Immature Little Blue Heron from Miramichi

The arrival of the individual in Miramichi required a bit of careful observation and study to differentiate this individual from a Snowy Egret.  Both species are about 60 cm tall and mostly all white.  The immature Little Blue has a heavier, bicoloured bill (dark tipped and blue-gray at base), pale blue lores, greenish yellow legs and feet and sometimes dark tips to its primary feathers.  Snowy Egrets have a thinner, mostly black bill and lores that are distinctly yellow.  An immature Snowy Egret has greenish yellow legs and feet, so careful observation is sometimes required.  The immature Snowy Egrets I have seen had a black line running down the shins of their greenish yellow legs.  Another good way to tell the immature Little Blue from the Snowy Egret is its behaviour.    The Little Blue is a slow-moving, methodical hunter.  It usually hunts with its neck extended.  The Snowy Egret usually hunts while holding its neck in an “S” curve.  

The Reddish Egret, which is very rare here, rarely has a white morp,.  It is a larger bird standing 76 cm tall.  It has a heavier, bicoloured bill (pink with a black tip) and the bird is much shaggier.  Its behaviour identifies it because it is very active and wildly runs around the shoreline as it feeds.

The Little Blue Heron keeps its white wing feathers until the next year of its life, usually May.  It then appears white with patches of blue wing feathers showing, looking quite piebald sometimes.  

                                 Immature Little Blue Heron from Marysville Showing Feeding Posture

The population size of the Little Blue Heron is declining.  Since this species does not have long showy plumes in the breeding season it, fortunately, escaped the decimation of the millinery trade in earlier years.  It is declining in recent years because of its exposure to heavy metals.  Development along coast lines, nest predation and parasites are other reasons.  Another interesting reason for nest failure is that if Cattle Egrets are nesting nearby, the Cattle Egrets, being later nesters, sometimes steal the sticks from the Little Blue nests.

Perhaps with the appearance of at least 4 immature Little Blues here this summer, it might mean the population in the northeast is increasing or at least healthy.  We can hope so.