Pl. CXXXVIII
The Birds · Plate CXXXVIII
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Nyctanassa violacea
Ardeidae · Taxon 4999
| Length | 55–70 cm |
| Wingspan | 1.1–1.2 m |
| Weight | 650–800 g |
Field marks
- Stocky, compact heron with a thick neck and blocky head
- Slate-gray body with broad, rounded wings and a short tail
- Black head with a broad white cheek patch
- Creamy-yellow crown and long pale head plumes
- Thick, stout, entirely dark bill and red eyes
- Orange-yellow legs; feet project beyond the short tail in flight
HabitatShallow coastal and inland wetlands, including tidal marshes, mangroves, lagoons, swamps, ponds, rivers, creeks, drainage channels, and damp fields or lawns, usually where trees or dense cover occur nearby.
BehaviorUsually forages alone, standing motionless or walking slowly through shallow water before lunging at prey. It specializes in crabs and crayfish, often breaking larger prey apart with its stout bill, and may feed by day, at dusk, or at night.
Palette
slate grayblackwhitecreamy yelloworange-yellow