Not since the Wandering Tattler, have we seen a bird moniker so well suited to a member of the Avengers as the Black-crowned Night-heron. But certainly, this heron has much more going for than its cool name. First, it is the world’s most widespread heron, occurring on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. With its combination of black and white, it is a very good-looking bird, although its hunched appearance might make you think it’s standing a little funny. In most of the Pacific Flyway, the Black-crowned Night-heron is a year-round resident. Populations in the extreme north and south of its range will migrate back and forth. That said, one will see a great deal of movement of these birds in California during spring, as local birds shift for breeding, and birds from the south pass through to northern climes. In fact, our friends in Oregon and Washington State don’t see too many Black-crowned Night-herons in the winter, and spring and summer are their chance to see this cool bird. (photo by Dawn Endico)