We are going to end the week off with an animal that always makes me laugh. Why does the Black Heron make me chuckle? Well, because every time I think of them I remember their part on the BBC One show, Walk on the Wild Side. Their “Night Time-Day Time” skit is priceless. Not sure what I am talking about? Check out a short clip below but you may end up spending hours on YouTube looking at all of the episodes.

Now that we are done playing the exciting Night Time-Day Time game, let’s get down to work and learn a little more about the Black Heron, also referred to as the Black Egret.

A Shady Hunting Tactic

The video above highlighted the most interesting behaviour of this particular bird, at least in my opinion. Now, I hate to ruin the fun for you but the heron was not actually playing a game, they were hunting for dinner. These birds will use their wings to form an umbrella over the water creating a nice shady spot for the fish to relax in. As the fish moves into this shady location, the Black Heron scoops down and gulps up their nice, tasty meal. While some herons prefer to hunt on their own, most enjoy the company of others while they dine. On average they will hunt in groups of 50 individuals, however, the largest flock of Black Heron’s on record is 200. That is one large dinner party!

Nest Full of Chicks

Although the video above has the Black Egret talking, they are typically a quiet bird; however, when they need to sing they will make deep clucking sounds. Similarly, as they are known to become quite raucous when they are protecting their lovely nest. This nest of theirs is usually constructed from sticks and placed out over the water in trees, bushes and reed beds. The Black Heron will build these nests at the beginning of the rainy season. This nest will usually be occupied by two to four dark, blue eggs, which after 30 days of incubation will turn into cute, little heron chicks.  It must be nice to have a nest full of children to keep you entertained during the long, rainy season.