Learning About Birds from Scratch

I mentioned how although the two types of birds are not in the same family, they share some common characteristics. Exquisite care in scratching their chin with the very tip of the nail on their longest toe is one such shared characteristic.

Note the chin feathers falling like leaves.

A Great Egret at the Kennilworth Gardens carefully scratching it's chin. This was taken a couple of years ago.

And, Great Blue Herons doing the same thing.