Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

1/100s at f7.1, ISO:200, Canon Mark II 1Ds w/600mm, 1.4x converter


The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is a fairly small Heron, similar in appearance to the Black-crowned Night Heron. It is found throughout a large part of the Americas, especially (but not exclusively) in warmer coastal regions. These birds stalk their prey or wait in ambush at the water\'s edge, mainly at night. They mainly eat crustaceans, mollusks, frogs, aquatic insects and small fish. Their breeding habitat is swamps and marshes from the eastern United States to northeastern South America. They often nest in colonies, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs overhanging water. They lay 3 to 5 pale blue-green eggs.
Sanibal Island, FL
 
01/29/2009