BOAT-BILLED HERON — The Bird With a Hairdo From Another World

Despite their odd looks, Boat-billed Herons are shy and secretive. They nest in colonies hidden deep in mangrove forests, building platform nests of sticks. By day, they remain motionless, blending into tangled roots and shadows, their elongated bodies making them almost invisible.

To birdwatchers, spotting one is unforgettable. The Boat-billed Heron is proof that evolution sometimes embraces the eccentric — combining a huge bill, a slender neck, and a wild feathered crown into a bird that looks like it belongs in a myth rather than a mangrove.