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$Unique_ID{BRD00628}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{The Great White Heron}
$Subject{Ardeinae; Ardea; occidentalis; herodias; The Great White Heron; Great
Blue Heron}
$Journal{Birds of America: Volume VI}
$Volume{Vol. 6:110-121}
$Family{Ardeinae}
$Genus{Ardea}
$Species{occidentalis; herodias}
$Common_Name{The Great White Heron; Great Blue Heron}
$Log{
Plate CCCLXVIII*00628P1.scf,29240024.aud
Bird Call*29240024.aud
Family*00621.txt
Genus*00622.txt
Figure*0062801.scf
}
(C) (P) Library of Natural Sounds; Cornell Laboratory
of Ornithology 1990-91, 1992; Ithaca, N.Y., All rights reserved.
Portions copyright (c) Creative Multimedia Corp., 1990-91, 1992
B I R D S O F A M E R I C A .
By John James Audubon, F. R. SS. L. & E.
------------------------------------------
VOL. VI.
--------------------------------
THE GREAT WHITE HERON.
[Great Blue Heron (see also Great Blue Heron).]
ARDEA OCCIDENTALIS, Aud.
[Ardea herodias.]
PLATE CCCLXVIII.--MALE.
I am now about to present you with an account of the habits of the largest
species of the Heron tribe hitherto found in the United States, and which is
indeed remarkable not only for its great size, but also for the pure white of
its plumage at every period of its life. Writers who have subdivided the
family, and stated that none of the true Herons are white, will doubtless be
startled when they, for the first time, look at my plate of this bird. I think,
however, that our endeavours to discover the natural arrangement of things
cannot be uniformly successful, and it is clear that he only who has studied
all can have much chance of disposing all according to their relations.
On the 24th of April, 1832, I landed on Indian Key in Florida, and
immediately after formed an acquaintance with Mr. EGAN. He it was who first
gave me notice of the species which forms the subject of this article, and of
which I cannot find any description. The next day after that of my arrival,
when I was prevented from accompanying him by my anxiety to finish a drawing, he
came in with two young birds alive, and another lying dead in a nest, which he
had cut off from a mangrove. You may imagine how delighted I was, when at the
very first glance I felt assured that they were different from any that I had
previously seen. The two living birds were of a beautiful white, slightly
tinged with cream-colour, remarkably fat and strong for their age, which the
worthy pilot said could not be more than three weeks. The dead bird was quite
putrid and much smaller. It looked as if it had accidentally been trampled to
death by the parent birds ten or twelve days before, the body being almost flat
and covered with filth. The nest with the two live birds was placed in the yard.
The young Herons seemed quite unconcerned when a person approached them,
although on displaying one's hand to them, they at once endeavoured to strike it
with their bill. My Newfoundland dog, a well-trained and most sagacious animal,
was whistled for and came up; on which the birds rose partially on their legs,
ruffled all their feathers, spread their wings, opened their bills, and clicked
their mandibles in great anger, but without attempting to leave the nest. I
ordered the dog to go near them, but not to hurt them. They waited until he
went within striking distance, when the largest suddenly hit him with its bill,
and bung to his nose. Plato, however, took it all in good part, and merely
brought the bird towards me, when I seized it by the wings, which made it let go
its bold. It walked off as proudly as any of its tribe, and I was delighted to
find it possessed of so much courage. These birds were left under the charge of
Mrs. EGAN, until I returned from my various excursions to the different islands
along the coast.
On the 26th of the same month, Mr. THRUSTON took me and my companions in
his beautiful barge to some keys on which the Florida Cormorants were breeding
in great numbers. As we were on the way we observed two tall White Herons
standing on their nests; but although I was anxious to procure them alive, an
unfortunate shot from one of the party brought them to the water. They were, I
was told, able to fly, but probably had never seen a man before. While
searching that day for nests of the Zenaida Dove, we observed a young Heron of
this species stalking among the mangroves that bordered the key on which we
were, and immediately pursued it. Had you been looking on, good reader, you
might have enjoyed a hearty laugh, although few of us could have joined you.
Seven or eight persons were engaged in the pursuit of this single bird, which,
with extended neck, wings, and legs, made off among the tangled trees at such a
rate, that, anxious as I was to obtain it alive, I several times thought of
shooting it. At length, however, it was caught, its bill was securely tied, its
legs were drawn up, and fastened by a strong cord, and the poor thing was thus
conveyed to Indian Key, and placed along with its kinsfolk. On seeing it, the
latter immediately ran towards it with open bills, and greeted it with a most
friendly welcome, passing their heads over and under its own in the most curious
and indeed ludicrous manner. A bucketful of fish was thrown to them, which they
swallowed in a few minutes. After a few days, they also ate pieces of
pork-rhind, cheese, and other substances.
While sailing along the numerous islands that occur between Indian Key and
Key West, I saw many birds of this species, some in pairs, some single, and
others in flocks; but on no occasion did I succeed in getting within shot of
one. Mr. EGAN consoled me by saying that be knew some places beyond Key West
where I certainly should obtain several, were we to spend a day and a night
there for the purpose. Dr. BENJAMIN STROBEL afterwards gave me a similar
assurance. In the course of a week after reaching Key West, I in fact procured
more than a dozen birds of different ages, as well as nests and eggs, and their
habits were carefully examined by several of my party.
At three o'clock one morning, you might have seen Mr. EGAN and myself,
about eight miles from our harbour, paddling as silently as possible over some
narrow and tortuous inlets, formed by the tides through a large flat and
partially submersed key. There we expected to find many White Herons; but our
labour was for a long time almost hopeless, for, although other birds occurred,
we had determined to shoot nothing but the Great White Heron, and none of that
species came near us. At length, after six or seven hours of hard labour, a
Heron flew right over our heads, and to make sure of it, we both fired at once.
The bird came down dead. It proved to be a female, which had either been
sitting on her eggs or had lately hatched her young, her belly being bare, and
her plumage considerably worn. We now rested awhile, and breakfasted on some
biscuit soaked in molasses and water, reposing under the shade of the mangroves,
where the mosquitoes had a good opportunity of breaking their fast also. We
went about from one key to another, saw a great number of White Herons, and at
length, towards night, reached the Marion, rather exhausted, and having a
solitary bird. Mr. EGAN and I had been most of the time devising schemes for
procuring others with less trouble, a task which might easily have been
accomplished a month before, when, as he said, the birds were "sitting hard."
He asked if I would return that night at twelve o'clock to the last key which we
had visited. I mentioned the proposal to our worthy Captain, who, ever willing
to do all in his power to oblige me, when the service did not require constant
attendance on board, said that if I would go, he would accompany us in the gig.
Our guns were