- Appearance: black head and back, red eyes, grey wings, white underbelly, yellow legs, can be seen resting in a hunched position during the day
- No significant difference between males and females
- Length: 23-26 inches (about 2 feet)
- Wingspan: 45-47 inches (just short of 4 feet)
- Status: populations recovered from mid-1900s pesticide use and are fairly common
- Habitat:
- Common in New England during all seasons
- Around the world, this is one of the most widely distributed herons
- Live near a variety of freshwater and saltwater habitats, including wetlands, marshes, coasts, ponds, and rivers
- Raining, diverting rivers, and pollution may push them off their habitat
- Common in New England during all seasons
- Diet:
- These herons hunt at night to avoid competition with other herons or egrets- NOCTURNAL
- They only feed during the day during breeding season, when they need extra energy for nesting
- Mostly fish but can include: squid, crustaceans, aquatic insects, earthworms, frogs, turtles, snakes, clams, mussels, rodents, carrion, and even tern eggs
- Forage by standing or wading at the edge of shallow water
- May also perch on nearby rocks, trees, or pilings to get aerial view of prey
- Sharp beak easily penetrates the water, allowing them to quickly grab fish
- GARBAGE along shore may be eaten by foraging night herons, especially if they cannot yet fly and hunt fish
- Birds can become extremely sick or even die if they ingest plastic, because they are unable to digest it
- These herons hunt at night to avoid competition with other herons or egrets- NOCTURNAL
- Migration:
- Black-crowned night herons tend to live along coastal shores year-round
- They can be found on Long Island year-round
- Inland populations such as those that settle around rivers are migratory
- Birds start heading south in September/October and return north in March
- Route follows Mississippi river system or Atlantic coastline
- Fly at night, rest during the day
- Average flight speed is around 18-21 mph
- May travel in small groups or alone
- Overwinter along southern Atlantic coast and Caribbean shores
- Live in large groups- can consist of as little as 50 to as much as thousands of birds
- Birds in southern U.S. are either non-migratory or only travel short distances
- Black-crowned night herons tend to live along coastal shores year-round
- Nesting:
- Black-crowned night herons mate for life
- Nest about 10-40 feet above ground
- Usually build nests in trees and thickets
- Males supply materials and builds the nest until he meets a female, then females build the nest structure while male collects branches and other materials
- Both males and females are highly territorial and attack approaching birds that are not from their colony
- Nest in colonies of members of their species or mixed with members of other species of herons, egrets, ibisses, and sometimes gulls
- All members of a colony nest in the same general area that the males pick
- Colonies may last over 50 years
- Average brood is 3-5 green-blue eggs
- Breeding black-crowned night herons don’t distinguish between their own offspring and those of another species
- They take care of whatever chicks are in their nest
- Young leave nest at about 1 month old and forage on foot near the nest
- They learn to fly at about 6 weeks of age
- Black-crowned night herons can live about 20 years
