Adult Black-crowned Herons are solitary birds that prefer to hunt alone but young Night Herons are a different story. They usually hang out around Snowy egrets.
Snowy Egrets tend to hunt aggressively, chasing prey and causing more movement in the water. This creates more opportunities for night herons to grab food without expending as much energy.
Young Black-crowned Night Herons may not be as skilled at hunting yet, so watching egrets can help them develop better foraging techniques.
Hanging around with Egrets offers protection from predators. More eyes mean a better chance of spotting danger.
Generally, life is good.
