Galapagos Lava Heron (1 Viewer)

[MiddleRiver]

I am unclear whether there is in fact a 'Lava Heron'. Birds of the World, Cornell, etc. do not list it. Is it a taxo change?
To further confuse me, when googling 'Lava Heron' I do see an all grey Heron, with the exception of a couple of individual websites that show something that looks like a Yellow-crowned Night Heron:

Lava Heron | Will Burrard-Lucas

photos.willbl.com

Galapagos BIrds – Heron

The Lava Heron, also known as the Galapagos Heron, is a species of heron endemic to the Galapagos Islands. The adult is slate-grey, which helps it blend in with the hardened lava. The back feathers…

photosbyravi.com

I took this back in 1991, obviously standing on lava in the Galapagos. Yellow-crowned?

 

[THE_FERN]

Lava heron is like green or striated heron and usually included as a subspecies of the latter (iirc). Doesn't look like the yellow-crowned night heron you have here

Edit: see:

Lava heron - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[MiddleRiver]

Thx. Agree.
I do think the two links I posted are also YCNH ;-)

 

[THE_FERN]

Thx. Agree.
I do think the two links I posted are also YCNH ;-)

Yes night herons

 

[Maroon Jay]

Lava Heron is recognised as a species by IOC but not by Clements or AOS or Birdlife who consider it to be included with Striated Heron. So it depends on which bird list you are using.

 

[njlarsen]

Yellow-crowned night heron in Galapagos is also a separate subspecies. Whether anyone want to make it a species, I don't know.
Niels