The Herons That Make an Annual Trip to Lincoln Park Zoo

Black-Crested Night Herons Congregate for Security, Nearby Water and Feeding

Photo by Bob Benenson

I have posted a lot of photos of the baby geese and ducks who bring charm to the North Pond Bird Sanctuary in Chicago's Lincoln Park each spring. But they aren't the only birds who put on a show.

The arrival of hundreds of black-crowned night herons to nest in trees just inside the front entrance of Lincoln Park Zoo is both a spectacle and a truly curious natural phenomenon.

Photo of Bob Benenson

These herons have been designated as endangered by the state of Illinois since 1977 because of habitat loss. But the creative solution that evolved here in Chicago suggests that these birds ain't dumb.

Just under 20 years ago, these herons discovered that the grove of tall trees, just inside the zoo's fence on Stockton Drive, was perfect to set up a rookery, or nesting colony. It gives the shy birds the distance they desire from humans. Their feeding needs are met by very close proximity to Lake Michigan, Diversey Harbor, North Pond, and South Pond (which is on the zoo's grounds).

But the other major advantage may be more of a matter of serendipity. The grove is located hard by the zoo's enclosure of carnivorous red wolves at the Pritzker Family Children's Zoo. These animals can't climb the trees to get to the herons, but they pose a mortal threat to tree-climbing predators such as raccoons and opossums.

Whether or not you are a bird watcher living in or visiting Chicago, I recommend a visit to this quite unique scene before these birds skip their nests.

Photo by Bob Benenson

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