[Archibald]

Great Blue Heron white morph.

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[Callie]

Very interesting! Nice image!

 

[Woodyg3]

Great! I've yet to see a white morph.

 

[Archibald]

Very interesting! Nice image!

Great! I've yet to see a white morph.

Thanks for the comments. They are found in the Florida Keys.

 

[ssheipel]

Very cool. Nice shots.

 

[Archibald]

Very cool. Nice shots.

Thanks!

 

[Anjin San]

I’ve always wondered…are the GBH white morph and the Great White Heron the same bird or different. Dunno…and TBH it really doesn’t matter beyond idle curiosity.

 

[Archibald]

I’ve always wondered…are the GBH white morph and the Great White Heron the same bird or different. Dunno…and TBH it really doesn’t matter beyond idle curiosity.

Different things can be said about that! Sibley (2000) says both are Ardea herodias and calls the white bird just a white morph, but highlights differences other than color. Later, he seems to have changed his mind. See https://www.sibleyguides.com/2007/11/great-white-heron-not-just-a-color-morph/

Browning and Kushlan say the white morph is a separate species, Ardea occidentalis. https://www.heronconservation.org/jhbc/vol07/art01/

eBird calls the white morph Ardea herodias occidentalis implying a subspecies.

For us photographers, it is interesting but it is more important to get a good photo.

 

[rduckw]

Nice shots Thnaks for the info on the white morph

 

[Anjin San]

Different things can be said about that! Sibley (2000) says both are Ardea herodias and calls the white bird just a white morph, but highlights differences other than color. Later, he seems to have changed his mind. See https://www.sibleyguides.com/2007/11/great-white-heron-not-just-a-color-morph/

Browning and Kushlan say the white morph is a separate species, Ardea occidentalis. https://www.heronconservation.org/jhbc/vol07/art01/

eBird calls the white morph Ardea herodias occidentalis implying a subspecies.

For us photographers, it is interesting but it is more important to get a good photo.

Yeah…the biological details are interesting but really irrelevant. GWH are far rarer in my area of the world…and I’m more interested in photos than a life list or bragging rights anyway.