Can pose Kung Fu on 1 green leg, can I be Chinese?

[Toto Gamboa]

Egret Doing A Kung Fu Stance (ala Crane)
Shooting info - Coastal Lagoon, Paranaque, Oct 24, 2010, 50D + Canon EF 400mm f5.6L, f/5.6, ISO 640, 1/2000 sec, Handheld

There were 3 potential Chinese looking egrets I have seen this morning. However, as I was stalking these visitors, the Guard approached me and say "Bawal". So i left the area pronto. Too bad, didnt get the chance to shoot the others.

I have noticed that these are a bit bigger than the usual Little and they are paler.

Little or Chinese?

[Bobby Kintanar]

Sorry, can't say for sure 'coz the bill is still too pale for a Chinese Egret stamp on this one. It's a really nice capture though! :-)

[Edu Lorenzo Jr]

as stated.. Chinese or not, this has excellent control of whites. Great pic!

[Toto Gamboa]

Is there really a definitive guide to ID an egret without going through DNA testing?

Questions, questions, questions. I do hope we get answers.

Can we use logic/reasoning to ID an egret? For example, when does Little Egrets have green legs?

[Ely Teehankee]

I hope Des gets to see your posting. He is an expert on Egrets. The picture is excellent regardless of the ID. Of course its better to know if its a Chinese Egret because of its rarity. Well done Toto. Mabuhay.

[tina mallari]

I have a difficult time identifying egrets too so I will just have to agree that you got this at a very nice pose and that your exposure is fantastic....not even a tinge of blown off whites !!! Way to go Toto

[Toto Gamboa]

THanks bobbyk, edu, ely and tina. These egrets are a puzzle to ID. Even experts are challenged to get the ID right based on photos. But since this one knows Kung Fu, this must be a Shaolin Egret.

[Tonji Ramos]

OK Toto, I will ID it for you. Green legs...flesh lower beak dark upper...greenish blue skin...same place as Bob's photo....Karate kid pose....ah ok its a Chinese for sure. I am sure. Yup. No doubt.

Or it might be a Little.

Might be a white phase reef?

Well. Its a great pic.

[Toto Gamboa]

Thanks Tonji! hehehe. An egret that does not know kung fu is, for me, not chinese.

[Bobby Kintanar]

Just for reference, here's another Chinese Egret shot from Olango. NOtice that the legs are similar to Toto's Egret, but the bill is still Orange colored with a black tip:

[Toto Gamboa]

THanks Bobby K. With your CE shots, I can now confirm my shots to be that of a Kung Fu Egret A Little one though

[Mark Itol]

Love the pose on this one, Toto!

[JV Noriega]

Whats with all these Kung Fu posing Chinese Egrets?!!! are they doing this because they are Chinese? Great timing and exposure on this one Toto!

[Toto Gamboa]

Thanks Mark and JV!

@jv, I was just justifying my frustrations of nailing a Chinese hahhaha. Instead, I shoot any Egret that looks like CHinese. Since it can do Kung Fu, it must be Chinese

[des]

Please photograph them next to a reference species