Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: Dr. J. Murray Speirs

(Miles note: These photos were taken at Col. Sam Smith Park in May 2021)

This is an exceedingly rare straggler in Ontario.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron

The immatures are so similar to the young Black-crowned Night-Herons that they may be overlooked (or misidentified).

Black-crowned Night-Heron (juvenile)

Adults with their black head, contrasting with the yellowish white crown and cheeks are quite distinctive.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

The young are very similar to the young of the Black-crowned Hight-Heron but differ chiefly in shorter, stouter bill and longer legs – the whole foot and part of the tarsus project beyond the tail in flight, not just the toes as in the Black-crowned young.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Dr. J. Murray Speirs

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