Herons In The Night

Most of us have seen Great Blue Herons in the Hudson area. We might have seen or heard Green Herons, their smaller cousins.

We are less likely to see Black-crowned Night Herons because they forage in the evening and at night. So, even if they are in our area, we might not see them. These medium sized herons have a stocky build, relatively short legs and bright red eyes.

Why do they forage at night? It allows them to coexist with other species of herons. Here is a Black-crowned Night Heron photographed this week at Cooper Marsh.