June 19, 2023: Black-crowned Night-Heron youngsters at the rookery play act courtship

I've never had the incredible privilege of watching the grand romantic drama played out between Black-crowned Night-Herons during courtship until a little over a month ago when I caught a pair of youngsters play acting it out at O'Fallon Park's rookery. The first act of the drama usually involves the male selecting a most auspicious nest site - the youngsters skipped this part. Act two involves the male outrageously puffing up his feathers under his desired beloved's watchful eye and then, in the third act, almost prostrating himself for her, stretching his neck out as far as he can while bowing all the way to the ground with a hissing flourish at the lowest point - and at the same time doing a two step. This is done as he assesses her every move of approval or disapproval, adjusting as he goes. Check out the youngster attempting to charm the other in just this manner in our series of photos - click on the one attached to this journal entry and you'll see the whole series. The one being wooed is hidden in the leaves, but her face is visible. Sweetness and sheer delight!

Posted on July 31, 2023 10:51 PM by wildreturn