Pacific reef heron; eastern reef heron
A heron species (Egretta sacra) found on rocky coasts in East Asia and the Pacific. The name literally means 'black heron', but the bird has both dark and white morphs.
I spotted a Pacific reef heron on the rocky shore.
Katakana spelling is standard for this bird name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling exists but is rarely used; the bird is normally written in kana.
Compound of 黒 (kuro, 'black') and 鷺 (sagi, 'heron'), referring to the dark plumage of the common morph.