Black-crowned Night Herons were nesting in the Tagus Estuary when we visited this month. We saw them around a pond on the edge of the marshes and we saw them, including this handsome specimen, in the mixed rookery on the island in the Tagus. This is the same species as the North American bird…but since the Europeans only have one Night Heron, it is often called just plain Night Heron. It is a rarity, not in numbers, but in the fact that it has not been split off from its North American counterpart. Many birds have North American and European versions, or close matches, and most are the Eurasian something or other and are classified as separate species. Not so the Night Heron. Which is odd, as unlike most true circumpolar species, I don’t think of the Night Heron as being a strong flyer, or tied to the ocean. ??? Sony RX10iv at 600mm. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Polarr.