Clovis, NM 8/17/13 (1 Viewer)

I need some help. I was told that there was a Yellow-crowned Night Heron in Clovis, so I went looking. This is what I found and told that I got it. I don't believe this is the yellow-crowned. Am I wrong?

Secondly, What is this one? The picture is TERRIBLE, but it maybe good enough for an ID?

he other one is not at all a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, it is an oriole!

The first picture is a juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron. It can be separated from Yellow-crowned by having a much more yellow bill (Yellow-crowned has an all dark bill), and large white spots on the wing coverts, whereas the Yellow-crowned has tiny white spots. The Yellow-crowned also has a somewhat blocky head, the Black-crowned not so much.

The second bird is an Oriole, likely either a Bullock's or Hooded, but I'm not sure how to separate them from this view. EDIT: Didn't realize Clovis was so far east in NM - it is probably out of range of Hooded. Possibly in range of Orchard, but this doesn't look like an Orchard. Bullock's is the favorite.

I agree with Randy on the Night-heron. Everything about this bird fits Black-crowned. The large amount of yellow on the bill (and the bill shape) makes this an easy call for BCNH.

Mike