A charming young man who gets lost while on a hunting vacation in Maine near Mrs. Tilley’s home, the hunter serves as the antagonist trying to get Sylvia to betray the heron and her bond with nature. Although he is never named, the hunter is described as aggressive, determined, and loud. The loud whistle he issues to announce his presence in Sylvia’s solitary natural sanctuary represents the intrusion of man into nature. He vacillates between charming and self-absorbed, and generally only uses his kindness to get what he wants out of people. When his charm doesn’t work, he offers money. He listens politely to Mrs. Tilley’s sad stories but fails to empathize with her pain and suffering. His general view of country people is negative, so he is impressed by yet still dismissive of Mrs. Tilley and Sylvia and their lifestyle. He is ironically referred to as “the ornithologist” when he describes how he kills and stuffs unsuspecting birds without a second thought. Though he collects birds and knows a lot about them, he has no respect for nature. His contempt for both people who live in the countryside and nature itself blinds him to the beauty and power of the natural world.