Nycticorax nycticorax, 16 March 2018

Nycticorax nycticorax, the Black-crowned night heron;
Monroe county, Florida (16 March 2018).

Though not rare, this species is less-commonly-seen than their heron and egret cousins. Black-crowned night herons are a bit reclusive and often stick to well-shaded, well-covered areas along the edges of freshwater bodies of water. This is one of the few bird species known to actually bait fish. They’re anglers! The Black-crowned night heron will toss small objects into the water to lure fish to the surface. When a small fish rises to check out the intrusive object, bam! The night heron strikes out and catches its prey.