Wayne R. Petersen
JOHN KRICHER
Many readers will recognize the mystery bird for August 2026 as a large waterbird. The combination of the bird’s noticeably long legs and obviously broad and somewhat rounded wings further suggests that the bird is a long-legged wading bird such as a heron of some sort. The fact that the bird is not white eliminates egrets as possibilities, and since it is not solid dark in color, neither a Glossy Ibis (Plegadas falcinellus) nor a White-faced Ibis (P. chihi) is an identification candidate. Its large size takes Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis) out of the running.
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