Lia Bull-Krieg, Stuart Country Day School
Mercer County
Second Place, Mercer County, Yellow-crowned Night Heron (c) Lia Bull-Krieg
Yellow-Crowned Night Heron
Oh hello, have you come to read about me? Good thing at least one person cares. I don't mean to seem rude, but lately things have been tough for us Yellow-Crowned Night Herons. Yesterday, I was eating my fiddler crab, (yum!) and I saw this human! He was in this crazy yellow contraption and he did something and a tree fell over!!! It was very traumatizing and I flew away without even finishing my crab! My babies are going to be disappointed. That crab was for them! I was planning on digesting it and regurgitating it for their afternoon snack. Slightly gross of course, but it does do the trick.
While we are on the subject of my babies, here's some more about them: They are my pride and joy! They just hatched after 24 days of waiting! I just got back on my feet again an I'm glad not to be sitting. The ground under my bush is scattered with blue eggshells. It's quite a ' sight! Sadly, only four out of the six eggs hatched, which happens in most cases and 1 baby died after the first day.
Enough about my kids. Some more about me: My feathers are slate-colored and, if I say so myself, very pretty! I have a black beak and two white stripes. One stripe is above my eye and looks like a crown and the other one is on my cheeks. You might be wondering, "I thought she was a YELLOW-Crowned night heron?" Well, the males' white stripe turns yellow and cream in the mating season. Pretty cool, right? But the coolest thing about me is my red irises.
Now that you've heard how pretty I am, please work harder to save me! You know, you used to eat me! Thank goodness that's illegal now! The reason my species is dying out is because of intense habitat loss. Boardwalks have destroyed some of our habitat. After Hurricane Sandy some people got together and decided that there should be no more building so close to the shore line, which really will help bring back our species! We really need help, but we all know that you guys can do it!! Maybe you could clean up a beach or raise some money or adopt me on the Conserve Wildlife Site. If we just keep a positive attitude, we can save our species!
Now I've got to go, for I see a big crayfish! YUM!!
Written by: Lia Bull-Krieg
Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, Princeton, NJ
Teachers: Mrs. Linda Hochuli & Mrs. Deborah Land