Black-Crowned Night Heron

They live in a couple of well-stocked ponds here in Chicago. I think they have enough fish that they don't need to raid nests. At least the large number of small birds I've seen lately - baby mallards, wood ducks, Canadian geese - would seem to indicate that the dozen or so Night Herons in the area aren't doing too much damage to nests.

Thanks!s Since the Great Blue Herons don't seem to have made their way to the city yet, these guys are the biggest birds in the area. I mean, even next to our monster crows, these guys are huge, so it makes it pretty easy to guess when they're only about six or eight feet over your head. :)