Help ID this bird

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Two weeks ago my buddy sent me a surveillance pic of this bird in his yard, pic #1
Then last night at dusk I walked up on a similar looking bird on a gravel road & it’s not a roadrunner.
It stood mostly then walked slow and actually preferred to fly down the road versus running.
The wingspan was close to 24”
Pic #2 is my pic from last night
Pic #3 is a zoomed in version

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Dang upload function…

[BayouCat]

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[TKRanch]

It is a Night Heron

[boy wonder]

Top pic is a penguin, the others a some kinda heron……😁

[Fishndude]

Don’t know but they’re in my yard quite often. And at night

[32drawlength]

Looks like a night heron

[Bill M]

Yep, Yellow-crowned night heron.

[Man]

It be a heron

[Bill M]

Your second shot may be a juvenile

[32drawlength]

Sure could be a juvenile or maybe a female

My buddy sent another pic which looks less colorful

[BlackHogDown]

They're cool birds unless you've got a pine tree in your yard. They seem to only nest in the pines in my neighborhood and leave a hack of a mess underneath.

[Bill M]

Sure could be a juvenile or maybe a female

My buddy sent another pic which looks less colorful

Yes, definitely a juvenile. There is no real difference between male and female with this particular bird. Nesting pair. They normally nest at water sites.

[Clay C]

Sandhill Crane