This section shows one large critter image at a time. Use the thumbnails that follow to select a specific image to display here. This gallery contains a grid of small thumbnails. Selecting a thumbnail will change the main image in the preceding section.
The black-crowned night heron has a small, stocky body and grows to 23 to 28 inches tall, although it usually hunches its neck into its body.
It has a white head with a glossy, black "cap"; a glossy, greenish-back; white or light gray underparts; and gray wings, rump and tail. Its bill is thick and black, it has red eyes, and its legs and feet are yellowish-orange.
Males have two long, white plumes on the back of their head during breeding season. Juveniles are mostly brown with buff and white streaks on the head, chest, back and wings. The black-crowned night heron eats mostly small fish, amphibians, crustaceans and aquatic insects. It silently stalks its prey in shallow waters, then plunges into the water and grasps its prey in its bill. It feeds throughout the night to avoid competition with other herons.
When flying, the black-crowned night heron holds its bill straight ahead and its legs straight back when flying. Its stocky body and pale gray underparts are visible in flight. The heron's call is a flat-sounding quok or quark , most often while flying or on a perch. These herons nests and breeds in colonies. Breeding may begin as early as February; new breeders continue to arrive at the colonies through the end of April.
