Cuban piping plover, herons and egrets


Royal tern, 12 March 2017

This photo shows a royal tern flying near a beach on Cayo Coco island north of Cuba. We had arrived there on 12 March 2017 from the spot where we had seen a Cuban tody and doves.

There were semipalmated plovers on the beach. And ruddy turnstones. And a willet.

Piping plover, 12 March 2017

And a special bird: a piping plover, on migration from North America.

White great blue heron, 12 March 2017

Also, a big white bird. A great egret? No, great egrets have black legs. This one has greyish legs. So, it is a white form of the great blue heron. In the USA, these white ‘blue’ herons live in southern Florida.

White great blue heron, 12 March 2017

Laughing gull. Grey plover.

Piping plover flies, 12 March 2017

The piping plover flies away.

Great egret and great blue heron, 12 March 2017

Other birds stay. Like this great egret, and this great blue heron (not a white morph this time).

Great egrets, 12 March 2017

One great egret stays. Another one flies away.

Stay tuned for more Cuban coastal birds on this blog!