Yellow Crowned Night Heron
The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is a rather stocky wading bird, ranging from 1 ft 10 in–2 ft 4 in and from 1.5–1.9 lb, the females being a little smaller than the males. The neck, slim when extended, gives the bird a comically large head compared to its body, with a large and heavy bill.
The body and back are a smooth grey-blue, with a black scaled pattern on the wings. The long legs are yellow and turn coral, pink or red during courtship. The most characteristic part of the yellow-crowned night heron is the head: black and glossy, with white cheeks and a pale yellow crown going from the bill, between the eyes and to the back of the head, giving the bird its common name. Such colors make the face appear striped in a horizontal black-white-black-white pattern. Long, thin, white feathers grow to the back of the crown during mating season. The bill, also black, is thick and deeply set under the eyes which are dark orange or red.
The yellow-crowned night heron may forage any time of the day and night, although it prefers the night to feed the young.
2. A friend of mine named this night heron “Sam”. Sam lives in front of my place and he squawks when I put in to kayak.
3. A better lit photo of Sam.
4. Here is Sam, some say he is drying his wings, but night herons do not swim. I think he is cooling off.
5. Some times Sam goes over to the pool.
6. Got an itch!
7. He looks like he is making a heart.
8. A juvenile yellow.
9. Very serious.
10. Black feet.
11. Redish eye.
12. Look at those toes and toe nails!
13. Sporting some white feathers at the back of his head!
14. A very sick young yellow I took to the hospital.
15. Out looking for breakfast.
16. I like the long pair of feathers!
17. Wading by the oyster bed.
18. He looks sleepy.
19. A juvenile.
20. Juvenile fishing.
21. His eye looks huge.
22. Hiding in the mangroves.
23. Juvenile with wings akimbo.
24. Trying to sleep.
25. Juvenile.
26. Detail of Juvenile.
27. Portrait with one feather straight up.
28. Caught a crab.
29. Down the hatch.
30. Posing.
31. Junior waiting for breakfast.
32. The hunchback.
33. 7:19 AM up and awake.
33. 7:20 AM up and awake. 8-16-2020
33. 7:25 AM up and awake. 8-16-2020
34. Standing stock still waiting for food.
35. Moved over to see if food was available here, he did grab something and swallowed it.
36. Same bird as above, just turned and the wind disrupted his feathers!
37. Reflection
38. Wading
39. Back in the mangroves.
40. Can I interest you in a Rolex?
41. Fishing – got me a crab.
42. Trying to get away.
43. Crab for breakfast.
44.
45.
46. Taking a stab at a crab.
47. Success!! Breakfast.
