Creature Feature #505: Night Heron

Night Herons are, as their name suggests, nocturnal herons. There are seven extant species, spread across three Genera.  During the day, Night Heron's roost in trees and bushes, but as darkness falls he flies down to the water's edge to stalk or wait and ambush his prey of fish, crustaceans, small mammals or invertebrates. Nets are loosely constructed platforms, often built overhanging water. The pair may return to the same nest year-after-year, adding to the construction.

This fellow is a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. He is found in the lower south-east North America, along Central America and into South America.