210 BIRDS OF EUROrE AND NORTH AFRICA 



Ardeola. 



Smaller Herons ; tarsus shorter ; plumage not entirely white. 



Ardeola ibis ibis (L.). Buff-backed Heron. Fr. Heron 

 garde-bocuf; Gcr. Kuhreiher ; //<^/. Airone guarda-buoi. 



^ summer. White ; crown with lengthened feathers, chest 

 and dorsal plumes reddish buff. In winter long dorsal plumes 

 are absent and feathers on crown are shorter, crown is pale 

 buff, chest and back white tinged creamy buff. Bill, orbital 

 skin, legs, feet and irides yellow. Wing ^ 5 247-255. Tarsus 

 78-85. Bill 54-57. ? in summer resembles $ ; in winter chest and 

 back are white. Young like winter $, legs dark greenish brown. 



Breeds. — Spain and Portugal, N.W. Africa, Egypt and through 

 Africa and S.W. Asia. Partly migratory ; many winter S. Spain ; 

 casual in Europe outside breeding range, twice in England. 



Ardeola ralloides Scopoli. Squacco Heron. F7\ Heron 

 crabier ; Gcr. Rallenreiher ; Ital. Sgarza-ciuffeto. 



^ 9 summer. Wings, lower back, tail and underparts white ; 

 crown (dark striped), neck, breast and lateral dorsal plumes 

 ochreous buff, central dorsal plumes vinous. In autumn dorsal 

 plumes are lost, foreback and scapulars yellowish brown. Bill 

 blackish horn, greenish at base below. Legs and feet in summer 

 yellow, in winter yellowish green. Iris yellow. Wing 205-235. 

 Tarsus 57-64. Bill 58-65. Immature birds have back brown, 

 little or no ochreous colour, neck more streaked, and primaries 

 with brown shafts. 



Breeds. — N.W. Africa and S. Spain, Hungary, Rumania, 

 Lower Danube Valley, W. Balkans, S.W. Russia, Volga and 

 Ural districts ; also S.W. Asia and through Africa. Migrates ; 

 occurs on passage in Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Greece, Madeira and 

 Canaries. Casual in N.W. Europe, including Britain. 



Nycticorax. 



Bill shorter than head, strong and broad; neck short and 

 thick; on nape several long wdiite tape-like feathers. 



Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax (L.). Night 



Heron. F^. Huron bihoreau ; Gcr. Nachtreiher ; Ital. Nitticora. 



$, 9 Crown, nape, scapulars, and back dark green ; foreneck, 



