12. The Night Heron

Herons are long-legged birds of marsh and shore. We get six species of herons migrating regularly over Malta (plus some rarer ones), sometimes in nice big flocks. One of these is the Night Heron, so called because it often flies by night, resting in large trees during the day. To keep the flock together while flying in the dark, the birds often emit short croaky calls, hence the Maltese name: Kwakka! September is a good time to watch out for Night Herons as they migrate to their wintering grounds in Africa. Like all herons, the Night Heron is protected but many still get shot down every year by hunters who cannot resist adding these big birds to their trophy collection.

Text by Victor Falzon, photo by Chris Cachia Zammit.
  Copyright to Birdlife Malta.