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