Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Black-Crowned Night Heron

By: Tom Berg

One of the more wary and secretive shore birds that visit our wetland areas is the black-crowned night heron. These stocky herons are shorter than great blue herons, but they are still relatively large since they have a wingspan of nearly four feet. They are a very light gray color overall, with a black back and a black cap on top of their head. Adults have a bright red eye and a thick black beak. They also have long white head plumes which are very distinctive.

As their name implies, black-crowned night herons typically hunt for food at night. That allows them to avoid conflicts with other heron species that hunt in the same areas. However, black-crowned night herons are also seen in the early morning and in the evening near sundown. They feed on a variety of aquatic creatures, but fish, crayfish, frogs and small turtles make up a large part of their diet. They also eat insects, worms, clams, lizards, snakes, rodents, birds and even bird eggs. 

Black-crowned night herons can be found in and around wetland marshes, but they also spend time along the shorelines of lakes, ponds and creeks. Freshwater swamps are a favorite place for them to hunt after dark. In the daytime hours, they often rest in large trees not far from the water.

During nesting season, black-crowned night herons gather in groups and nest in fairly large colonies. These nesting colonies often include other similar birds like great egrets, great blue herons and even the much smaller green herons. Their nests are constructed of sticks and tree branches that they carry up into the trees. Nesting colonies are usually built on islands or over the water to help protect them from climbing predators.

Although black-crowned night herons are less visible to people than some other heron species since they are most active at night, they are actually the most widespread heron species in the world. Besides the populations that live in the United States, they can be found all across Mexico, Central America and much of South America. They are very interesting birds!

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