Ardea cinerea Linnæus, Syst. Nat. ed. 10 (1758), 1, 143; Sharpe,
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 74; Hand-List (1899), 1, 194;
Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 382, fig. 84; Oates,
Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 113; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List
(1906), 32.
Guimaras (Steere Exp.). Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia.
"Adult in breeding plumage.--General color above light ashy gray,
scapular plumes, parapteral feathers, and innermost secondaries
elongated and forming narrow drooping plumes of pearly gray or white;
the wing-coverts gray like back, the outer ones pearly gray or white,
the greater series dark ashy, outer webs entirely white; alula,
primary-coverts, and quills purplish black, secondaries shaded with
gray externally, inner secondaries like back; tail-feathers entirely
gray; crown of head crested, white in the center, with a broad band of
purplish black on each side, ending in a crest on occiput, and having
two elongated nuchal plumes; entire sides of face, neck all round,
and under surface of body white, with a creamy lilac shade on each
side of fore neck and chest, which have drooping plumes of narrow,
elongated, white feathers; the whole of the lower throat and fore neck
varied with elongated black stripes, differing in breadth and situated
on one side of the feather; on each side of the crop is a large patch
of drooping plumes of purplish black, and continued along the sides of
the body even as far as the vent; sides of body light ashy gray; thighs
and under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts ashy gray. 'Bill
yellow, with the ridge of the upper mandible brown towards the end;
feet dull green; tibia yellow; claws black; iris yellow; bare space
between the bill and the eye green.' (Macgillivray.) Length, 762;
culmen, 129; wing, 457; tail, 183; tarsus, 173.
"Adult female.--Similar to the male and equally beautifully colored,
but the black crest-plumes not so long, and the black markings on
the chest not quite so pronounced. Length, about 762; culmen, 124;
wing, 452; tail, 170; tarsus, 162.
"Young.--Differs from the adult in being darker and not so pure gray;
head dark slate-color, with a small nuchal crest of purplish black,
neck rather lighter ashy; sides of face and ear-coverts also ashy gray;
cheeks and throat white; neck dark slaty gray, as also the sides of
the body, under wing-coverts, and axillars; lower throat, fore neck,
and chest very broadly streaked with black, the black very thickly
developed on throat, sparsely on fore neck, and represented by a few
black streaks on sides of body; on each side of chest the black patch
of the adult is represented by a dusky patch of feathers, relieved by
several broad white streaks; on bend of wing a tinge of rust-color,
which also pervades the black-streaked feathers of throat and fore
neck." (Sharpe.)
"Rare. Not met with by us on our second visit to the Islands." (Bourns
and Worcester MS.)
The common heron is rare in the Philippines but may be recognized by
the pale gray head and neck, set off by the black crest, line on side
of head, and broken line on throat. A very much damaged specimen in
the Bureau of Science collection has unfortunately no data as to its
source but it was probably killed in Luzon.