These guys really are wiley. They hunt for fish (“fish for fish” is too redundant and not an accurate description) in the early morning hours before dawn. I see them in my neighborhood, lining up along the ponds, waiting and watching for the opportunity to snag an early breakfast. I saw one up close at an Arizona Game and Fish display over the weekend. They present a strange visage: red eyes with inner eyelids that blink vertically, long, dangerous, pointed beaks, and an inscrutable expression that, when combined with their shrugged-shoulder posture, looks rather sinister.
They’re not endangered and can be found near water all over the world. The one pictured looks like he’s got a beakful–holding a fish that weighs almost as much as he does (a little less than two pounds).