What Kind of Bird is This One ???

Definitely a Heron.

a reply to: Trueman

As others wrote, it looks eerie like a heron and the place fit's too.

If that bird is a Heron why is it that its head looks a bit odd?

Black Heron

originally posted by: Halfswede
Interesting that you don't see them in Jersey. They are basically found across the entire US and pretty common almost across the entire range. Maybe just becuase Jersey

Well, maybe you can see them in rural areas, but this is Newark !

a reply to: Trueman

Somethings off about the behavior of birds, but don't ask me what and why.

A few days ago I wrote it in a different thread, before that, months ago I wrote something about birds strange behavior I never noticed. The thread about dying birds in the US, the other one I forgot the title.

Here, I have experienced similar. We always had storks but the bird life exploded this year. So many songbirds and also birds of prey like falcon, milan. The birds will take every opportunity to build nests at the most dangerous places for them. Where cats and martens can get them, like 2m off the ground, on top of entrance lights, I even saw birds looking at cars and terrace furniture for possible nests.

And there's communication happening, laugh now if you want. The mama song bird was bickering when she felt that we were to close to the nest when she came back with food. We retreat a few steps, she notices, changes the branch, makes a short stop on our furniture, looks at us and quickly enters and bails for the next round.

Same for birds over door lamps, if you signal them by retreating, this nest I speak about is reachable by an adult hand, they will register it and use the moment.

I'm very often outside, in forests and nature, I observe a lot but this year it's sticking out extremely. Maybe the herons population at your place skyrocket and now the younger ones are driven out of the territory?

I don't know if herons have territory or if they just roam around places.

a reply to: Trueman

I believe it to be a rare sighting from the north of a Southern Swamp Chicken.

a reply to: Trueman

I'd say a great blue heron.
Looks for nests high up in trees.
Big nests.
IIRC, they are one of the few wading birds to nest up high.

a reply to: Athetos

Sandhill cranes have red spots on their heads, IIRC.

originally posted by: 38181
a reply to: Trueman

I believe it to be a rare sighting from the north of a Southern Swamp Chicken.

Look up Common moorhen