The Orniphile

Photographs and Articles
About Chicago Area
Birds and Birding

IOS Photo Quizzes

Early Summer 2010 Photo Quiz

Early Summer 2010 Photo Quiz

Discussion

It isn't too difficult to tell that this is a heron of some kind. Among our herons, the dark wings and back with fine pale spotting only work for juvenile Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned Night-Herons. That was easy enough but telling the two night-herons apart in juvenal plumage is another matter. There are structural differences between the two species, Yellow-crowned being a longer necked and longer legged bird than Black-crowned. The legs of our candidate certainly look long, but the neck is folded so we can't tell how long it might be. Let's take a look at plumage differences.

As mentioned before, both species have spotted upperparts in juvenile plumage but on Yellow-crowned Night-Heron this spotting is finer. The streaking on the head and neck of juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Herons is also finer than the head and neck streaking of juvenile Black-crowned Night-Herons. Our quiz bird has finely spotted upperparts and fine head and neck streaking, making it a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. This juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was photographed at Montrose Beach in Chicago, Illinois on July 17, 2006.

Answer: Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Photo Quizzes (select a quiz and click Go):