Comments: Freshwater and brackish marshes, lagoons, and borders of ponds and streams; often forages in cultivated fields (AOU 1983); wet pastures. Rests in or beside water by day (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Perches readily in trees (Ridgely and Gwynne 1989). Nests in tree cavities (sometimes considerable distance from water), nest boxes, or on the ground in grassy areas or under brush/cactus near water; ground nesting most common where mammalian nest predators absent; sometimes nests on or in human-made structures. See McKenzie and Zwank (1988) for details on nest sites.