[texbirds] Great White Heron and GBHE - breeding pair in Texas - photos

  • From: MBB22222@xxxxxxx
  • To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:40:03 -0400 (EDT)

Great White Heron (Ardea herodias occidentalis) taxonomic status is still  
debated. Some authors provide arguments that this is a subspecies of Great 
Blue  Heron, some that this is a full species and some want to see it as a ‘
white  morph’.  My post is not aimed to provoke discussion on this subject  
(taxonomic status) as this problem cannot be solved  on the forum but  rather 
bring awareness that this unique population deserves more attention from  
birders in Texas.  I personally see many valid points to classified it as  
subspecies which were presented by some of the greatest taxonomists (e.g. 
Mayr,  E. 1956) and would like to see more research done to review McGuire’s 
(2002)  studies. His proposal to classified Great White Heron as a full species 
can be  found here (with plenty of interesting arguments): 
http://research.myfwc.com/engine/download_redirection_process.asp?filemcguire_0501.pdf&obj
idI161&dltype=publication
 
I am fully aware that TBRC in 2006 decided by vote that Great White Heron  
is just a GBHE ‘white morph’ and took it off from a review species list. As 
one  consequence, I think, we have practically no data collected (it is not 
 “tickable” for birders anymore). On eBird I see only 3 records entered; 
last one  from 2009.
 
I understand (from private sources) that at least one Great White Heron  
successfully nest in Texas now (mated with GBHE) and produced mostly blue  
offspring in past several years. This year mixed pair produced a mixed brood (1 
 white and one dark chick).   
 
Here are a few photos of this pair:
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/149850084
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/149850090
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/149850094
 
With Great Egrets for comparison
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/149850087
 
More photos can be check here
 
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/great_white_heron_and_great_blue_heron_breeding_pai
r_texas_april
 
Regardless of our private opinions of the Great White Heron taxonomic  
status we should try to collect detailed information about breeding attempts in 
 
Texas as these data might be valuable to future research.
 
Mark B Bartosik
Houston, Texas
http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field
 
 
 
 
 

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