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It landed on a camping table sitting in our driveway a few minutes ago.
I looked in my Birds of Tennessee book - couldn't find it.



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So, my Birds of Tennessee book is divided by the color of the birds. From this picture, and what I saw in person, I looked under "Mostly Brown", "Mostly White", and "Black and White".

I started thinking it maybe looked a little bit like the Great Blue Heron that comes to our pond a lot. The index of the book showed Heron, Great Blue and Heron, Green. It's a Green Heron. I don't see a bit of green on it...hmmmmm???

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I can't tell it's size, but I'd vote for the American Bittern. Length about 24 inches and wingspan about 44 inches. Marshy resident and likes fish, frogs, bugs, snakes and those kinds of things. Good bird to have around and you are quite a special person to have one as a yard bird. They aren't known for being out in open spaces. They like to hide and put their beak straight up in the air and blend with the marsh grasses. Congratulations!

Just saw your second post Mitch and Green Heron was my first answer that I wrote. When I went to send the answer I got thrown out and lost my answer and had to log in again. So all of my words about chest/belly/beak/malar stripe/leg/length as he flew in or out is gone.

But the front doesn't look GRHE to me. Immature ? maybe. But again, I can't tell size as Heron is way smaller than AMBI. My first book was Golden Guide (it was close by) and I picked AMBI. So I went and looked it up in my Sibley Eastern, and it still looks AMBI. So I got out Peterson and it looks immature GRHE. So I went to Kaufman and it looks immature GRHE. The American Bittern should have a dark brown malar stripe as an immature. But you have the advantage of knowing the size and the real color of the legs and if the belly was stripe. I don't like the beak for a AMBI, but I don't like the stripes down the front for a GRHE.

The Green Heron used to be known as the Green Backed Heron. This would be an immature. So how big was it? Just over a foot or about 2 feet?

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Does this help with the size? I figure it was maybe a little under a foot tall...?
This is the non-cropped version of the first picture.
My Birds of Tennessee book says juvenile are "similar to adult, with a blue-gray back and white-streaked chest and neck.
Doesn't that sound just like the first close up pic?



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Man, I've been staring at Google images for the past 45 minutes...I sure as heck can't tell the difference between a Green Heron and a Bittern, although I'm leaning toward the Bittern. You guys sure know a heck of a lot more than I do!

Either way, though, it's pretty cool! And it had to be young, right - to be so close to the house?

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Love a good bird mystery! This is one funny looking dude. Can't wait to see what you all decide on!

Bittern has my vote..

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 6&ct=image

And I'll just sit here and enjoy the discussion and admire the bird....

Go take a look at this site. Do a search for both birds. Note that it doesn't reflect immature birds.

http://sibley.enature.com/

Sibley writes a small carry in the field and a large leave it in the car and use for reference. I think I believe that maybe for certain possibly that I'll probably stick to the American Bittern probably. Except the size is Green Heron, so probably it is maybe for possibly certain a Green Heron, immature. Also known as the "KWOK" bird because when it flies it utters a call that sounds like Kwok. But then I look again and say AMBI!

A GRHE would also come closer to the house if he saw a water puddle, or a pond with koi or little gold fish. AMBI would probably only do that if it was sick or a baby.

Come on Tina give us the correct answer!

I think it is the immature green as the legs are short and there is no black stripe on the neck which would indicate a bittern.