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Stocky yet stealthy, get their name from their tendency to hunt at night. Found as far north as Canada and as far south as Argentina, these wetland-dwelling  start their stealth training young. Juvenile herons leave the nest to join foraging flocks when they are just one month old—before they can even fly.

This image was a Top 100 photo from the 2011 ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Magazine Photography Awards. To see all of the photos, click .