It’s dark, the afternoon Summer storms have cleared out, and the wind has completely stopped. The humidity is so thick you can feel it like a foggy sauna. The only sound you hear is the gentle lapping of the water against boats moored nearby. You’re all alone, just you and the fish, well, almost. There are two birds on the dock with you and they’re also fishing. 
Have you ever wondered what types of bird they are? Well, here’s three of the most common ones seen on the docks at night.
The first is the black-crowned night heron. They usually sleep in shady mangroves by day, but then emerge at night hunting small fish and crustaceans. They have a mostly gray and white body and are often in a “hunched over” pose.
The second species is a green heron. They’re the smallest of these dock light birds. They are multi-colored with green, blue and purple feathers. They crouch over very close to the water and extend their long necks to catch fish and shrimp swimming through the lights. You’ll often see them on low hanging dock lines.
The third species featured is the snowy egret. They’re much smaller than a great egret, but have all white feathers, yellow feet and a black bill.
Hopefully, this will help you with identification of your dock light friends!