Pl. XCIX
The Birds · Plate XCIX
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Ardeidae · Taxon 4981
| Length | 58–66 cm |
| Wingspan | 115–118 cm |
| Weight | 727–1,014 g |
Field marks
- Stocky, thick-necked heron with a hunched posture
- Black crown and back on adults
- Pale gray wings with whitish underparts
- Heavy, pointed black bill and red eyes
- Yellow-green legs and long toes
- Broad, rounded wings, short tail, and long white nape plumes on breeding adults
HabitatFresh, brackish, and saltwater wetlands, including marshes, swamps, rivers, lake edges, ponds, estuaries, tidal flats, mangroves, canals, and flooded fields, with trees, shrubs, reeds, or other cover for roosting and nesting.
BehaviorMostly active from dusk through night; stands still or walks slowly in shallow water to grasp prey, roosts socially by day, and nests colonially, though individuals often forage alone.
Palette
blackslate graysoft whiteredyellow-green