Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

Back for its third year, this adult is well north of its normal West Coast range. Note the characteristic large swollen bill specialized for eating crabs. This species has expanded its range northward with multiple pairs breeding in coastal Southern California as far as Ventura County. Their first successful California nesting was in 2006 at San Diego. Despite their recent range expansion, they remain a rarity in most of California. Six subspecies are recognized. This is "N. v. bancrofti" characterized by paler coloration, narrower dorsal streaks and having a thicker bill than the nominate East Coast race. Distribution of "N. v. bancrofti" is weird with two widely spaced populations, one centered in NW Mexico and the other in the Bahamas and West Indies.