Ao-sagi-bi

'' Translation  Ao-sagi-bi:  Blue heron fire Alternate names  goi-no-hikari (night heron light) Habitat  Rivers, wetlands; wherever herons and other waterbirds can be found <span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"">Appearance  <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.4pc0pc0.5pc;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Many birds transform into magical youkai with eerie powers when they reach an advanced age. Ao-sagi-bi is the name for a bizarre phenomenon caused by transformed herons - particularly the black-crowned night heron. Other herons and wild birds, such as ducks and pheasants, are able to develop this ability as well, though it is most commonly attributed to the nocturnal night heron. This heron is found all along the islands and coasts, preferring remote areas with heavy reeds and thick woods. Ao-sagi-bi is most commonly seen at night in the trees where the herons roost, by the rivers where they hunt, or as the birds fly in the twilight sky. <h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin:22.5pt0pc0.2pc;line-height:15.75pt;border-style:none;padding:0pc;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"">Behavior  <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.4pc0pc0.5pc;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Long-lived herons begin to develop shining scales on their breasts, which are fused together from their feathers. They begin to blow a yellow iridescent powder from their beaks with each breath, which scatters to the wind. During the fall, their bodies begin to radiate a bluish-white glow at night. Their powdery breath ignites into bright blue fireballs, which they blow across the water or high in the trees. These fireballs possess no heat and do not ignite anything else, eventually evaporating in the wind. <h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin:22.5pt0pc0.2pc;line-height:15.75pt;border-style:none;padding:0pc;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"">Interactions  <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.4pc0pc0.5pc;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Like most wild birds, night herons are very shy and usually flee from humans. Even after transforming into youkai, they retain their shyness. While the sight of a colony of wild birds breathing blue flames and making strange calls on a cool autumn night can be rather disconcerting, ao-sagi-bi does not post any threat to humans. However, because it appears similar to other fireball- like phenomena, caution should be taken to avoid confusing ao-sagi-bi with oni-bi or other supernatural lights.
 * As written by  <span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">"The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons"  by Matthew Meyer ''