Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Backyard Birding => Topic started by: jenny on July 24, 2017, 06:31:01 PM

Title: Great White Heron in the Don River
Post by: jenny on July 24, 2017, 06:31:01 PM

Cycling on the Don Valley Trail today, I saw this white bird that looks like a Heron! I have looked up and there are Great White Herons. Have they been sited in Toronto?

Title: Re: Great White Heron in the Don River
Post by: MikeN on July 24, 2017, 06:45:06 PM

Looks like a Great Egret from the picture

Title: Re: Great White Heron in the Don River
Post by: jenny on July 24, 2017, 08:02:30 PM

Hi Mike:

You are probably correct, but in my original picture, the legs...as much as you can see...look white not black.
Have White Herons been seen in the Toronto area?

Title: Re: Great White Heron in the Don River
Post by: Pat Hodgson on July 25, 2017, 08:28:25 AM

Quote from: "jenny"

Have White Herons been seen in the Toronto area?

No.  The "great white heron" is a special colour morph of great blue heron that normally only occurs in south Florida.  There have been some vagrant records up the east coast.