# ID this bird for me
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 17, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479 "2003-06-17T15:29:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/1 "2003-06-17T15:29:37Z")
I have a little creek that runs right by my office window, and we get a nice assortment of wildlife to look at, but today I saw a bird in it I’ve never seen before. Sorry, no picture, as my camera is at home.
It’s a largish bird, smaller than an egret or heron, but obviously a wading bird like that. It has a long neck. It has long, yellow legs. It’s body seems to be a uniform grey color, slightly darker on it’s back. It’s face is white, with a large black horizontal stripe on each side. It has a black beak.
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/2 "2003-06-17T15:41:22Z")
Oh, I’m in north Texas.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/3 "2003-06-17T15:43:39Z")
It sounds like a species of egret, possibly the [url=http://www.delawarevalleybirding.com/bird251.htm]little egret[/url.
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### Author:  [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/4 "2003-06-17T15:44:59Z")
Where are you located? It sounds like a[grey heron.](http://www.kenyabirds.org.uk/grey_heron.htm)
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/5 "2003-06-17T15:45:07Z")
Probably, but not that egret. His body was grey, like a 50% grey.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/6 "2003-06-17T15:45:51Z")
[Yellow-crowned Night-Heron](http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i2030id.html)
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/7 "2003-06-17T15:46:27Z")
His head was bigger than the grey heron’s, and he had this awesome horizontal black stripe on his face.
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/8 "2003-06-17T15:47:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Colibri \*
> \*\*[Yellow-crowned Night-Heron](http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i2030id.html) \*\*
That looks a LOT like it.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/9 "2003-06-17T16:05:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Turek \*
> \*\*That looks a LOT like it. \*\*
That should be it, since the species occurs in north Texas, though it’s not too common. [Map](http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i2030id.html)
Neither Gray Heron nor Little Egret occur in the U.S. except as extremly rare vagrants.
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### Author:  [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/10 "2003-06-17T17:27:35Z")
After fetching the binocs from the car and getting a better look at the bird, I’m positive that’s it.
Thanks everyone for the input.
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### Author:  [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-for-me/182479/11 "2003-06-17T17:29:34Z")
Look at this one.
[Black-crowned Night-Heron](http://natzoo.si.edu/Animals/Birds/Facts/FactSheets/fact-blknightheron.cfm)