Heron?

[b4quin]

Looking for possibilities - saw 6 birds in the Maumee river, probably common, however new to me. Waders, larger than a mallard smaller than a Canadian goose, long neck though not tall like a Great Blue Heron. I could not get very close, but they seemed very dark on the back, possibly some lighter color on the throat. Ideas? Thanks Bill Quinlan

[Nathan Kipling]

I wonder if they're tricoloured herons, someone on the same continent would be at an advantage.

[AndyB]

Hi Bill, some of the smaller herons you get in Ohio such as Black-crowned Night Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Green Heron should be in sunnier climes by now. Here's our page of Heron photos (http://www.surfbirds.com/namericanbirds/heron-egret.html) - many of which you get in Ohio in the summer. If they were herons, they were most likely Great Blues but perhaps were hunched up making them not look as tall...

Not sure if they were swimming or standing but perhaps Double-crested Cormorants? These are long-necked dark birds of the size you estimate. Here's a page of photos (http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/search2.cgi?species=double-crested+cormorant)

[b4quin]

Thanks for the help and the pictures of the double crested cormorant, I think that's the right bird. I couldn't see the bill very well, but what I saw looks exactly like the photos. I had picked out the coromorant from my Peterson's guide but somehow thought they were coastal only. Thanks for the great help. I have been watching a flock of great blues and that's when I saw these.

[b4quin]

met some other birders who confirmed these are cormorants. Thanks to all. BQ