A strange-looking bird sighted on the Charles River
I decided to take a slightly different route this morning: I skipped the Blue Heron Trail in favor of continuing on the Charles River Greenway. This brought me to the boardwalk attached to the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation. I glanced towards the river and had to stop my bike. There, standing on the rocks, was a strange looking bird I had never seen before. It was a juvenile yellow-crowned night heron with its outstretched neck and beady orange eyes.
These herons hunt at night for crustaceans such as crabs and crayfish. They are less common in the north than the south, and their solitary, nocturnal habits make them seem more rare than they are.
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Kudos to the photographer for a lovely picture! This bird is actually a juvenile black crowned night heron, a shy, but much more common bird here in Waltham. Shorter legs, yellow beak, and the pattern of spots and streaks are features of the Black, not Yellow crowned species
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Are you sure this is a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron and not a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron. The two types are difficult to distinguish from each other and I had identified the same bird as a Black-crowned. If I was incorrect, I’d love to know.
Keep up the great work. I enjoy your articles.