Based on my sightings I’m thinking the Yellowed-crowned are the Herons that like darker swamps best.
Any other larger birds are hit and miss except these. I almost always find at least one.
The trick here is to get an open spot and extra light.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron In A Swamp
So different from the black crowned night herons we see. Nice shots.
Adults are very different. The juveniles actually look the same. The only way to ID them is by the shape of the head.
This is a stunning bird in equally stunning surroundings! Fabulous, Ted!
And they are not little birds either. Photographing them on the deeper swamps is hit or miss as you can tell from the environment. Buts it’s beautiful, thanks.
I can’t help wondering if they have better vision in the darker areas than the other herons do. These seem to have very large pupils. Are their eyes always like this regardless of light level or is the large pupil-size a response to the lower light level?
Good question. I seen to remember that’s how they always look, but now I will have to check around.
Please let me know what you find out as it was something I found very interesting!
Will do
Before I got side tracked again I went and did a visual check on the Night Herons. The answer is a yes and no. Of course.
They do see well in the dark (that I knew but checked on-line). Both the Blacked-crowned and Yellow-crowned species. Hence the night hunting. However, the pupil will perform like any eyes. It’s the yellow / red eye color that makes the dark pupil itself stand out.
I have many shoots of both types of birds in bright and dark situations here. You can search on just the words Night Heron and see the changing eyes.
Hope that helps…great to be curious. It’s contagious.
🙂