Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea
The purple heron is a large bird, 78–97 cm (31–38 in) in length with a standing height from 70 to 94 cm (28 to 37 in) and a 120–152 cm (47–60 in) wingspan. However, it is slender for its size, weighing only 0.5 to 1.35 kg (1.1 to 3.0 lb). It is somewhat smaller than the grey heron, from which it can be distinguished by its darker reddish-brown plumage, and, in adults, its darker grey back. Adults have the forehead and the crown of the head black, with a dark stripe down the back of the neck that terminates in a slender, dangling crest.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
White-necked Heron
Ardea pacifica
The white-necked heron is a large, diurnal, long-legged waterbird. It is mostly slate-grey to black with distinctive black spots in the centre of the lower fore-neck and throat. During the breeding season plum-coloured nuptial plumes are present on the back and breast. The flight is stately, with slow steady wing-beats. The length is 76–106 cm (30–42 in), wingspan 147–160 cm (58–63 in) and weight 860 g (30 oz). The bill is black and the facial skin is commonly blue or yellow. The eyes are green and the legs and feet black.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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