These juvenile yellow crowned night herons spends a lot of time on our dock and are just now starting to drink fresh water out of our dock water bowl after watching the elder yellow crowned night herons.

S/he is also learning how to crab / hunt / forage and picks at a regurgitated pellet (undigested materials such as sand, bones, crab shells, fur, etc…). It plays with a crab leg by putting it in the water and then trying to grab it.

Then it tries to pull the copper ring off the copper bowl and tests more of it’s skills and strength. Charleston SC, July 2025