Ah, sweet rain. Rain that pours water in ditches that suddenly erupt with the bleets of a million tiny frogs ...... and the strikingly handsome Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Yesterday (while other hikers passed by without a notice) I watched a family of three of these gorgeous birds in the nearby ditch, undoubtedly fishing for crayfish, minnows, perhaps a grasshopper or frog in the now-still waters. This may be called a "night" heron, but he forages for food both day and night. Even so, the bird's slow movement and shyness make it a difficult bird to spot.
This group of three (two mature birds and an immature in the middle) was undoubtedly a family unit (mom, pop and kiddo). Both the male and female build the nest, incubate the eggs, and care for and feed the chicks.
You can recognize the Yellow-crowned Night Heron by its very striking appearance. It's a stocky wadding bird, about 24 inches in length. It has a slate-gray body, a black head with a white streak on the side of the face, and a yellowish-white crown. In breeding season, you will see a yellow plume of feathers on its head. It has large red eyes, a black bill, yellow-to-orange legs. Males and females look alike. The immature bird is a mottled gray-brown.
Alas, it's sound is a loud harsh squawk. Like people, some birds are better off not saying a word!
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