THREE UNUSUAL BIRDS

BLACK-CROWNED HERON

This bird also goes by several other names: for example, Night Heron or Black-Capped Night Heron.

It is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world (e.g., Europe, Asia, and North America (but not in Canada).

Figure 1. Black-crowned heron. About 1 foot tall. Seen on the shoreline of Castaic Lake, north of Santa Clarita, in Southern California. This unusual heron was seen and photographed by a very observant family friend and a keen-eyed "birder."

   

Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

Order Pelicaniformes

Family Ardeidae

Genus Nycticorax

Type Species N. nycticorax

This is not a typical-looking heron because it is stocky with short legs. It does hunch up, however, when resting. Adults have a black crown and a black back. Otherwise, it has a gray color. Its overall body length is 23 to 26 inches. It hunches up when waiting for prey. 

This bird stands still at the water’s edge waiting to ambush its prey, namely, small fish, small clams, squid, frogs, etc.

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TERN BIRD

Larosterna inca is a seabird from from the coasts of Peru and Chile. It lives in nests in large colonies, often near sea gulls. The Inca Tern bird feeds on small fish (anchovies) and small marine invertebrates. Because of man's overfishing of anchovies, as well as habitat loss, this bird currently has a “near threatened” status.

                                               Figure 2. An Inca Tern bird.

It is a very distinctive bird with a slate-gray body and red beak and feet. It also has a prominent white “mustache." Its body is about 1.3 feet long, with a wing span of 10 to11 inches.

The Inca Tern makes a loud, crackling or a cat-like mewing but can also make catlike-mewing calls.

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THE UMPRELLABIRD

These birds are named for their distinct umbrella-like hoods on the top of their heads.

There are three species of this tropical bird. The image of the one illustrated herein (unusual it is bluish rather than black) has a rather short inflatable wattle on its neck, whereas the other species have longer wattles. Thus the specimen illustrated herein is most likely the endangered species Cephalopterus glaricollis, known from Costa Rica and Panama. The wattle is used to make loud, booming calls to attract females. 

These birds are 14 to 15 inches long and weigh less than a pound. Their wingspan is up to 28 inches. They can live for up to 16 years.

Umprellabirds birds can also be found in the Amazon. 

These birds mainly eat fruit but also eat insects and spiders, as well as small vertebrates.

Umprellabirds are secretive and solitary.  The inflatable wattle can amplify their loud booming calls. 

Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

Order Passeriformes

Family Cotingidae

Genus Cephalopterus (there are only three species known)

Type Species Cephalopterus ornatus

The geologic time range of umprellabirds is unknown (Wikipedia, 2026).

Figure 3. Cephalopterus glabricullis from Costa Rica and Panama. This species has a short neck-wattle. Image via Picyrl (public domain).

Reference

Wikikpedia, 2025

“BLOBFISH”

The “blobfish” is somewhat ”well known” because it is generally considered to be very ugly. Its unfortunate name is based on an natural shape of this fish.  All blobfish have two shapes: one for deep water specimens (= natural habitat) and one for specimens forced by humans to exist (for a short time) in shallow water (which is NOT the habitat of this fish---i.e., they cannot live in shallow water).

NORMAL FORM: Deep-water specimen.

Figure 1. A"blobfish" [Psychrolutes microporos] from a deep-water depth (about 2,000 to 4,000 feet), is where it normally lives in Western Australia and in New Zealand. At that depth, it looks like a typical fish because the water pressure keeps its body "contained." Blob fish are typically 6 to 12 inches long.

This fish” is not crushed at these extreme depths because the animal has adapted to live there (note: it does not have a swim bladder, and it has weak bones and water-logged tissue for pressure protection). 

In completely dark, very cold, and deep water, where this fish naturally lives, it can “hover” (float) effortlessly just above the sea floor and does not expend energy swimming around. They have a "sit-and-wait" lifestyle and do not chase their prey. They lack teeth and sharp spines. "Blobfish" also lack heavy bones and muscles. They do not chase their food; rather, they wait for crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins to drift by or craw by. Then, they simply suck them into their waiting jaws.Thus, this deep-water version of this fish looks like a normal fish when in its natural deep-water environment.

SHALLOW-WATER FORM: An unnatural habitat for this fish (they cannot live there for very long!).

                             

Figure 2. When placed in shallow water, this fish no longer has the immense water pressure that literally compresses it. Thus, it expands, looks grotesquely swollen, and resembles a blob. After a short time, it will perish.

Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Actinopterygii (ray finned)

Order Scorpaeniformes

Family Psychroulutidae

Genus Pyschrolutes

Type Species P. marcidus

So, now you know the story about the unfortunate "common name"-designation of this normally deep-water fish.

Reference

Wikipedia, 2026

ANIMAL AND PLANT MASCOT NAMES OF AMERICAN-SPORTS TEAMS

                      

                                          Mollusk-Inspired Team Names

Banana Slugs [gastropod] 

Krakens [cephalopod]

Geoducks [bivalve]

Mighty Mussels [bivalve]

             Other Invertebrates-Inspired Team Names

Blue Jackets

Hornets

Jumbo Shrimp

Mad Ants

Stone Crabs

                    Vertebrate-Inspired Team Names

BIRDS

Blue Jays

Black Hawks

Cardinals

Ducks

Eagles

Falcons

Orioles

Penguins

Pelicans

Raptors

Ravens

Red Wings

Seahawks

CAMELS

Fighting Camels

FISH

Marlins

Sharks

Rays

MARSUPIALS

Kangaroo

MAMMALS [CATS]

Bengals (Tigers)

Bobcats

Jaguars

Lions

Panthers

Tigers

MAMMALS [OTHER THAN CATS)

Anteaters:

Bears [includes Grizzles; and cubs]

Bucks

Buffalo Bills

Camels

Colts

Coyotes

Dolphins

Flying Squirrels

Horses (Broncos, Colts)

Goats

Rams

“Rumble” Ponies

Seawolves 

Timberwolves

REPTILES

Diamond backs (rattle snake) 

PLANTS

Fighthing Artichokes

Lumberkings

Nuts

Sycamores

Miscellaneous Names (not necessarily animals)

Albuquerque Isotopes

Hardrockers

Montgomery Biscuits 

Rubberducks 

Mist (team now inactive)

Witichita Wingnuts

                                        Primary Reference

https://stadiumtalk.com/s/most-unique-team-names

The above list is a good start, but undoubtedly there are more names, especially if I were to include names of teams in Canada, Europe, Australia, etc.,  but I shall leave those for someone else to tabulate. 

                                        ACKNOWLEGMENT

My friend Lindsey Groves (who was also one of my former graduate students and who is now the Collections Manager of Mollusks at the Los Angeles Natural History County Museum), kindly helped in compiling some of the names listed above.

AMERICAN BLACK DUCK HYBRID

Discussion of this topic can be confusing. So, I shall start with a short review of the ubiquitous male Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos), familiar to all bird enthusiasts. It has a bright iridescent green head, white neck, brown chest, yellow bill, and pale-gray body. The female of this species is much less colorful-with mostly brown and white feathers. Both sexes of this species can endure humans (i.e., they like to be fed).

The much less commonly occurring American Black Duck Hybrid (Anas rubripes) (Fig. 1) is immediately distinctive because of the coloration of the males as well as their relatively long necks. I could not get a good view of a hen (female), but, as Figure 2 shows, they have some brown and/or white coloration in the head/neck area. The hens (females) are VERY wary of humans!

MALLARD X AMERICAN BLACK DUCK (hybrid) 

Anas platyrhynchos X rubicipes

Recently (in early July), I saw several black to blackish ducks hiding in tall weeds along the shoreline of a narrow lake (canal) in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, southern California. These black to blackish ducks, furthermore, got my attention because although they resemble the shape of a regular (common) mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), they clearly were not the norm, especially in that they were dark colored and shunned humans. The common mallards are always begging humans for food and come right up to you.

Nearby there were regular-looking mallards. At the time, I was perplexed as to what I was seeing. After consulting some literature, I discovered that these black to partially black ducks are closely related to regular mallards (green/white/brown) and represent a hybrid form of the regular mallards.

Figure 1. Male hybrid-mallard X Black Duck, Anas platyrhynchos X rubicipes.

Figure 2. Two females of hybrid Mallard X Black Ducks in the background, with a male hybrid in the foreground.

DRAGON BLOOD TREE

This very distinctive tree is native to Socrotra Island, Yemen (Fig. 1) in the Arabian Sea areal, off the northeast corner of Africa. This island is 82 miles long and 31 miles wide. The highest mountain there is 4931 feet. The human population of this island is about 60,000.

Figure 1. Socotra Island, off the northeast corner of Somalia, Africa and southeast of Yemen. 

Socotra Island has a large number of endemic species (e.g., 37 percent of its flowers). Also, 90 percent of its reptiles are endemic, and, furthermore, 95 percent of its terrestrial mollusks are endemic. Its mammals are not endemic.

One of the more interesting endemic plants is the “Dragon Blood Tree” (Dracaena clinnabari). These tree have a very distinctive shape and are very slow growing. The average age of trees is about 300 years. Their sap is red and resembles blood. This tree is a threatened species on the island. Although this tree is native to Socrotra, it has also been introduced (spread via humans) to the Canary Islands, Florida, California, Central America, Hawaii, and northern Australia. This tree is very slow growing; it will live for 10-15 years before bearing flowers.

Figure 2. A dragon-blood tree.

  Classification

Kingdom Plantae

Clades (three of them)

Order Asparagales

Family Asparagceae

Genus Dracaena

Type species D. cinnabari

THREE CALIFORNIA MARINE FISH

 THE WHITE SEA BASS 

This marine fish, which is also referred to as the “White weakfish,” lives in rocky habitats along the margin of the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to both sides of Baja California in the Gulf of California (except for the tip of this peninsula). This fish is the only California member of the croaker family. 

The White Sea bass is up 5 feet long and weighs up to 93 pounds. Its coloration is bluish gray above, with a darker back and tail.

Figure 1. Atractoscion nobilis, a side view of the white sea bass fish (via picryl, an online-source of information).

This ocean fish prefers inshore waters, including brackish marine environments. It is a bottom dweller that can live above soft mud or rocks. This species typically travels in schools over deep rocky bottoms (0-122 m depth). It can also be associated with mangroves, seagrass areas, and around reefs. It reproduces inshore. This fish eats mollusks, anchovies, squids, sardines, pelagic crabs, etc.

  Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Actinopterygii

Order Acanthuriformer

Family Sciaenidae [= “croaker fish”]

Genus Atractoscion 

Type species A. nobilis

This fish species has three pairs (a total of six) otoliths (“ear stones”) that consist of calcium carbonate and are located directly behind the brain. Otoliths have daily growth rings that can be used to determine a fish’s exact age. That is because the “stones” grow continuously throughout life of the fish. These “stones” play a crucial role in maintaining balance and spatial orientation. They also have shapes that are distinctive for each fish species.

Figure 2. Same-view orientation of two White Sea-Bass otoliths, illustrating variation in morphology.

[note: on 3/30/2020, I published a blog post entitled “Fossil Bony Fish Earbones” about fish otoliths]. You might want to look it over it].

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THE GIANT SEA BASS

These fish are native to shallow/temperate to tropical waters along the Pacific coast of North America, from British Columbia to Baja California, Mexico. They prefer They can also occur in Japan. The giant sea bass can be up 7.5 feet long and weight up to 435 pounds. They have an elongate, very bulky body, and a large head. They can live up to 75 years or so. They are now endangered because of overfishing by humans.

                      

Figure 3. Giant Sea Bass (image taken at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Southern California).

The coloration of these fish is extremely variable and depends upon the surrounding colors: this fish can be bright green, dark green, brown, orange, yellow, or reddish. This fish is truly a master of camouflage! 

These fish live in shallow, rocky, inshore waters (to depths of 40 m), near or near kelp “forests.” These fish are able to make "boom sounds" that disable their prey. Furthermore, Giant Sea Bass fish are apex predators (i.e., “ambush carnivores),” and they will eat crabs, mollusks, and many types of other fish (e.g., croakers, anchovies). They are the apex predators in kelp forests. Despite their large size, they can swim very fast.

   Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Actinopterygii

Order Acropmatiformes

Family Stereolepididae

Genus Stereolepis

Type species: S. gigas

Giant Sea Bass fish are thought have lived in kelp forests in the northeastern Pacific Ocean as early as Miocene time (15 million or so years ago (Wikipedia, 2026).

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THE GIANT KELP FISH

These fish are found along the Pacific coast of North America, from British Columbia to Baja California, Mexico. They can be up 24 inches long. They have a stream-lined elongate body and a sharp-pointed head. Their coloration is extremely variable and depends upon the surrounding colors: this fish can be bright brown, green, dark green, or even orange, thus, via camouflage, these fish mimic kelp plants.

Figure 4. An adult kelp fish (image taken at the Aquarium of the Pacific in southern California).

These fish live in shallow, rocky inshore waters (to depths of 40 m), near kelp forests. They are an "ambush carnivore," and they eat small crustaceans, mollusks, and other fish. 

   Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum chordate

Class Actinopterygii

Order Blenniiformes

 Family Clinidae

Genus Heterostichus (there are about 175 species!)

Type species: H. rostratus

Giant-kelpfish are thought to have appeared during Miocene time, 23 to 5 million years ago (based on fossils from California). They might have appeared earlier, because kelps were in the northeastern Pacific Ocean by at least 32 million years ago, in early Oligocene time (Wikipedia, 2026).

THREE UNCOMMON BIRDS

SANDHILL CRANE

This bird used to be referred to as the “Grus Stork.” Today, there are six known subspecies of this bird. It lives today in North America (including Cuba) and also in northeast Siberia.

It is a herbivore. It has one of the longest fossil record of any extant bird: 10 million years [= late Miocene time] in Nebraska.

The male weights up to 11 pounds and has a wingspan up to nearly 7 feet.

   Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

O Gruiformes

Genus Anigone

Type Species A. canadensis Linnaeus, 1758

Figure 1. Sandhill Crane bird.

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RED (SCARLET) IBIS BIRD

This is the only wading bird with scarlet-red coloration. This bird is sometimes called the “red ibis.” A heavy diet of red crustaceans imparts the red coloration of this bird. Juveniles are black.

Adults are up about 27 inches or so long and 1.4 pounds. This bird is characterized by its long, curved bill. This bird lives in coastal regions in tropical South America and part of the Caribbean region. It is most common in Venezuela and Columbia.

These birds roost in large colonies in leaf canopies of mangrove swamps.

Figure 2. Red-Faced Iris Bird.

   Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

Order Pelecaniformes

Family Threskiomithidae

Genus Eudocimus

Type Species Eudocimus ruber [the species name incorporates the Latin adjective ruber, “red.”

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WHITE PEACOCK

This rare peacock (estimated to be only 1 in every 30,000 individuals) is an all-white variant of the “Indian Blue Peaflow,” is not an example of albinism; rather, it is a genetic mutation called leucism, which prevents color from being deposited into their feathers. Nevertheless, these birds retain their normal blue eyes. These birds are extremely rare! They represent the national bird of India.

Both males (peacocks) and females (peahens) are pure white. They are born completely yellow, and then as they grow and mature, they turn white (both females and males).

As you can imagine, their lack of camouflage makes them highly vulnerable to predators.

The first all-white ones (they had blue eyes) were found in the wild (in India). They are no longer found in the wild. 

They belong to the peafowl group. Males are called peacocks, and the females and chicks are call peachicks. Three species are known: two in Asia (in India) and one in Africa (Congo Basin). 

   Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Cordata

Class Aves

Order Galliformes

Family Phasianindae

Genus Pavo?

[Tribe Pavonini] 

Reference Wikipedia

Note: If you want to see some beautiful and unforgettable images of white peacocks, just go online and type in “white peacocks.”

Figure 3. White peacock.

REFERENCES

Wikipedia, 2026.