YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON GALLERY
(Nyctanassa violacea)

eBird describes the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron this way:  Often inconspicuous heron, roosts in trees by day. Feeds nocturnally, specializing on crabs. Adults have bold black-and-white head pattern and gray body. Brown immatures similar to Black-crowned Night-Heron. Yellow-crowned has longer legs and neck; thicker bill. Legs project beyond the tail in flight. Juvenile Yellow-crowned has smaller white spots on wing coverts than Black-crowned.

I saw my first Yellow-crowned Night Heron on the morning of April 14, 2020 in Landa Park.  I had gone to Betty’s house to check her mail and on the return trip home went through the park.  Near the stretch of the Comal River near the entrance to the Wurzthalle, I saw several ducks, so I parked and spent about 45 minutes walking slowly along the shore.  I came across a Yellow-crowned Night Heron fishing on the near bank.  He flew across the river and I realized he had caught, and was eating, a crawfish.  I returned to that spot a few days later and saw a quirky immature bird.  Hope you enjoy a few of my photos!