**Description:** A tall, elegant wading bird with gray plumage, long legs, and a distinct crimson forehead patch.
**Size & Weight:** Stands 3–4 feet tall with a 6-foot wingspan. Weighs 7–12 lbs.
**Identification:** Flies with the neck outstretched (unlike herons). The red patch is bare skin, not feathers.
**Behavior:** Famous for elaborate "dancing" displays involving leaps and bows to strengthen pair bonds.
**Habitat:** Open wet meadows and large marshy basins like Buzzard Swamp.