Amy Lardner

Imagine you are strolling towards Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. It’s a balmy evening. Though dusk is settling, the park bustles with rush-hour energy.
Suddenly, you notice something unusual is drawing people’s attention. People stop abruptly and look up, pointing into the trees inside LPZ’s fence. You hear excited exclamations: “What is that?” “An owl? Hawk? Penguin?” Suddenly, a large bird flies out from the trees. A person standing by the fence is asked “Do you know what those birds are?” Smiling, the person replies “Yes! They are black-crowned night-herons, a wild bird and state-endangered species. They’ve chosen to nest in this zoo!”