Great White Herons in the North
Occasionally birders say they've spotted the Great White Heron in northern reaches. This bird is primarily found in Florida. Usually the bird that was spotted was actually a Great Egret.
Both birds look almost identical at first glance. The big difference is that the egret has black legs, while the heron has yellow-grey legs. The great egret is found in pretty much all of the US and Canada. Both have the curved neck and long, yellow beak. Both have very long wings.
Note that the great white heron is a "morph" or variety of the great blue heron, and it lives primarily in Florida. There have been occasional sightings along the coastline of Virginia and North Carolina.
Here are some images of the Great Egret. These were taken in the Florida Keys.
In comparison here is a photo of Great White Herons also taken in the keys. It's hard to see the legs here but they are yellow.
Great White Heron Information
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