Black-crowned night-heron
Identification Tips:
Appearance:
I had a chance to do some studies on this hardy little heron at the Baylands Preserve yesterday.
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Note that the juvenile BCNH looks very different from the adults.
Juvenile:
Here's an example, taken June '05.
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Identification Tips:
- Length: 20 inches Wingspan: 44 inches
- Sexes similar
- Fairly small, stocky, short-legged and short-necked heron
- Bill medium-sized and pointed
- Tucks neck in close to body in flight and at rest, rarely extending it
Appearance:
- Red eyes, legs yellow
- Black bill
- Black crown and back
- White face, throat, foreneck, chest and belly
- Blue-gray wings
- Two long, white, filamentous plumes extending from back of head in alternate plumage
I had a chance to do some studies on this hardy little heron at the Baylands Preserve yesterday.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
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Note that the juvenile BCNH looks very different from the adults.
Juvenile:
- Eyes yellowish to amber, legs dull greyish
- Yellow base to bill
- Brown head, neck, chest and belly streaked with buff and white
- Wings and back darker brown with large white spots at the tips of the feathers; spots especially large on the greater secondary coverts
Here's an example, taken June '05.
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