Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Black-crowned Night Herons are stocky wetland birds that often leave their daytime roosts at dusk to hunt. Adults have a black crown and back, gray wings, and white head plumes, while young birds are brown with pale spots.

Appearance

Appearance: Adults have a compact body, short-looking neck, red eyes, and a black-and-gray pattern. Young birds are brown with pale spots and streaks.

Look-alikes

Yellow-crowned Night HeronNyctanassa violacea

Adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons (Nyctanassa violacea) show a bold black-and-white face and darker gray underparts, while Black-crowned Night Herons have a black cap and pale belly. In young birds, check the bill: mostly dark on Yellow-crowned and pale yellowish on Black-crowned.

Why they get mixed upBoth are stocky night herons, and their brown young birds are easily mixed up.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Freshwater marshes
Saltmarshes
Ponds and lakes
Wet farm fields
Range: It occurs in wetlands across much of the United States. Birds winter in southern and coastal parts of the breeding range and farther south into Mexico and Central America.
When it’s recorded: Recorded year-round, every year
49,123 observations in the US · 10 years · for referenceChoose a state

Behavior

Diet: In North America it takes fish, insects, crayfish, frogs, and other small animals near water.
Activity: It usually hunts from dusk through early morning, though breeding birds may also feed by day.

Life cycle

Nest: It builds stick nests in colonies, often in trees over water. Both parents care for the young.
Fledging: Young birds can fly at about 6 weeks.

Name and classification

About the name: The American Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax hoactli) and the Eurasian Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax) are regional . There are two other regional subspecies.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
Status: In the United States, draining wetlands and polluted runoff can damage its feeding and nesting places.

11 sources