Hi Tweets,

Irene Wanner writes:

>My ancient bird guide doesn't list a great egret (several names--like
>marsh hawk/harrier--have been changed since it was published); what was
>this bird called ca. 40 years ago? Thx.

What does it say in your guide? Ye Olde Grette Whyte Longge-legge? Ye Grette
Whyte Crankie? Ye Whyte-aigrette'd Growk?

Irene, you *really* should think about getting a more recent guide... '-)

-From Birds of America, Pearson et al, 1936 edition, when its taxonomic name
was Herodias egretta, other colloquial names were: American Egret, White
Heron, White Egret, Greater Egret, Great White Egret, Great White Heron (not
to be confused with the southern white-morph of Great Blue Heron Ardea
herodias), and Long White.

-My old 1947 ed Peterson calls it American Egret Casmerodias albus egretta;

-According to Richard Pough's Audubon Water Bird Guide from 1951 it was
simply Egret C. albus;

-the National G 2nd ed (1987) retains the C. albus taxonomic;

-the current Western Peterson (1990) has Great Egret C. alba--not albus;

-in the latest AOU list, it is--may I have the envelope, please--Great Egret
Ardea alba.

No wonder this bird doesn't migrate much: can you imagine what the poor
thing would have to go through every time a cop asked it for proof of ID?

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)