Black-crowned Night-Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Order CICONIIFORMES - Family ARDEIDAE

Menu

1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

With a range that spans five continents, including much of North America, the Black-crowned Night-Heron is the most widespread heron in the world. It is most active at dusk and at night, feeding in the same areas that other heron species frequent during the day.

Cool Facts

• Young Black-crowned Night-Herons often disgorge their stomach contents when disturbed. This habit makes it easy to study its diet.

• The Black-crowned Night-Heron may nest in the same tree with ibises or other herons.

• Adult Black-crowned Night-Herons apparently do not distinguish between their own young and those from other nests, and will brood chicks not their own.

Description

• Size: 58-66 cm (23-26 in)
• Wingspan: 115-118 cm (45-46 in)
• Weight: 727-1014 g (25.66-35.79 ounces)

• Medium-sized, stocky heron.
• Short neck and thick black bill.
• Black cap and back.
• Wings gray.
• Underparts white.

• Long, thin, white plumes coming out of rear of cap.
• Relatively short, yellowish green or pink legs.
• Eyes red.

Sex Differences

Sexes similar; female slightly smaller.

Immature

Brown with white spots on the wings and broad, indistinct streaks on the underparts. Bill mostly yellow.

Similar Species

• Juvenile and first-winter Yellow-crowned Night-Heron have an all-black bill, smaller wing spots, and longer legs.
• American Bittern also bears brown streaks, but lacks white spots on the wings.

Sound

Call a loud, harsh squawk.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds across most of the United States and very southern Canada, southward to southern South America. Also found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Hawaii.

Winter Range

Winters from southern United States southward.

Habitat

Various wetland habitats, including salt, brackish, and freshwater marshes, swamps, streams, lakes, and agricultural fields.

Food

Aquatic invertebrates, fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, rodents, eggs, and other foods.

Behavior

Foraging

Grasps prey; does not stab with bill.

Reproduction

Nest Type

A platform of sticks placed in tree or cattails. Nests colonially; more than a dozen nests may be in a single tree.

Egg Description

Greenish

Clutch Size

Usually 3-5 eggs. Range: 1-7.

Condition at Hatching

Eyes open, partially covered in white and gray down.

Conservation Status

Overall, populations stable. Because of wide distribution and feeding habits, the Black-crowned Night-Heron is an excellent indicator of ecosystem health. You can help scientists learn more about this species by participating in the Celebrate Urban Birds! project.

Other Names

Bihoreau à couronne noire (French)
Yaboa real, Guanaba, Guaco (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Davis, W. E., Jr. 1993. Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). In The Birds of North America, No. 74 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.