Night Herons

Update on zoo Night Herons - in February Geoff had found both of the known survivors still in residence, these free flying birds were once thought to be extinct (back in 2007, and BS3); there is now a new picture of the red/green left bird on SOC gallery; the published longevity record for this species (hoactli race) is 21 years but this ancient bird seems now to have reached 25yrs+ (2010 summary, my own poor photo from that date above).

[Post from November 2011: another out of area item, alerted to this Night Heron story by Ian, bird recovered from Dungarit near Stranraer (where mobbed by Buzzards).

Originally from Edinburgh zoo, this is my understanding of the colour-ringing regimes adopted there 1984-2004:

* 1982-1987(8) - red right, 3 colours left
* 1989-1995 - red right, blue/yellow left (some blue/red left 1994)
* 1997-2004 - ad hoc 0, 1 or 2 red, blue/yellow bands either leg

So this individual would seem to be one of the last batch, thus probably rather younger than the two survivors at the zoo itself (one each from the two earlier ringing regimes).]