Watch this clever heron throw shade—literally

Scientists believe that this behavior, known as canopy feeding, helps the birds hunt by making their prey easier to see. In the same way as wearing polarized sunglasses helps fishermen peer past the water’s surface, creating a personal patch of shade may help these birds get a better look at their prey. Shrouding themselves in a cloak of darkness may also prevent the herons' prey from seeing them, experts say.