In breeding plumage the Tricolored Heron's bill has turned from mostly yellow to mostly blue and it has white plumes hanging down from the head.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE, WAKADAHATCHEE WETLANDS, DELRAY BEACH, FL
The grackle in the first photo is a male Boat-tailed Grackle and the five birds in the second photo are all female.
LAUGHING ALLIGATOR, WAKADAHATCHEE WETLANDS, DELRAY BEACH, FL
It sure looks like this alligator is laughing at something!
GREAT BLUE HERON IN WATER & IN NEST, WAKADAHATCHEE WETLANDS, DELRAY BEACH, FL
The first photo is the way you usually see a Great Blue Heron: standing straight and tall waiting to pounce on its prey. The heron in the second photo is in its nest, probably laying on its eggs. The Great Blue Heron in third to fifth photos looks like its sleeping with chicks below it in the nest.
GREY-HEADED SWAMPHEN, WAKADAHATCHEE WETLANDS, DELRAY BEACH, FL
At one time the Grey-headed Swamphen was considered one of six subspecies of the Purple Swamphen, but in 2015 each of these subspecies was elevated to a full species. The species is not native to Florida, but was introduced in 1999 due to avicultural escapees in Pembroke Pines, FL. Since then it has established itself in various parts of southern Florida. It was added to the ABA bird checklist in 2013. The Grey-headed Swamphen is actually native from the Middle East and Indian subcontinent to southern China and northern Thailand.
We can ID this bird as a Grey-headed Swamphen as follows:
- The bill and the frontal shield are red. The Purple Gallinule has a pale blue frontal shield and the Common Gallinule has no frontal shield.
- Bluish grey head.
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