Date: 6/8/26 4:17 am From: Jennifer Outlaw Coulson via groups.io <jenniferocoulson...> Subject: Re: [labird] White herons
Sorry, I forgot to add that Great White Heron has also been treated as a
subspecies of Great Blue Heron.
On Mon, Jun 8, 2026 at 6:15 AM Jennifer Outlaw Coulson via groups.io
<jenniferocoulson...> wrote:
> Hi Pat,
>
> I honestly do not know what Merlin is identifying as a "White Heron" by
> sound, but the scientific name that Merlin provided (in your screenshot) is
> currently referred to most commonly as the Great Egret. The Great Egret is
> common throughout Louisiana, including in the Husser area.
>
> The Great White Heron is currently treated as a species, *Ardea
> occidentalis*, restricted to peninsular Florida, although it has been known
> to stray. It was previously lumped with Great Blue Heron when it was
> considered to be a white morph.
>
> No doubt Van or others have more information. Here's some reading on the
> subject:
>
> https://www.heronconservation.org/jhbc/vol07/art01/ >
>
> https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-to-identify-white-herons-excerpt-from-better-birding-book/ >
> Jennifer Coulson
> Pearl River, Louisiana
>
>
> On Sun, Jun 7, 2026 at 7:32 AM Patricia Lanier via groups.io
> <patricia.lanier...> wrote:
>
> > Are white herons now considered common in Louisiana?
> > This bird is appearing often in the Merlin sessions I do on my morning
> > walks. However, I never see them. So I generally ignore it when I do the
> > eBird reports.
> >
> >
> > Pat Lanier
> > Husser, Louisiana
> >
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