Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
These clever birds are among the few avian species known to use 'baiting' techniques, sometimes dropping feathers or insects onto the water's surface to lure fish.
- Scientific name
- Nycticorax nycticorax
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Pelecaniformes › Ardeidae › Nycticorax
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Freshwater and saltwater wetlands, marshes, swamps, ponds, and tidal flats.
- Diet
- Opportunistic carnivore; primarily fish, crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, and small mammals.
- Range
- North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia
- Size
- Length: 58-66 cm; Wingspan: 115-118 cm
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Wetland drainage, water pollution (pesticides), and human disturbance at colonial nesting sites.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and generally shy. Maintain a respectful distance of at least 20 feet to avoid disrupting their hunting or nesting. If found injured, do not attempt to handle without heavy eye protection, as their sharp bill is a defensive tool aimed at the face. If bitten, wash the wound thoroughly and seek medical advice for potential infection.
The black-crowned night heron ( Nycticorax nycticorax ), commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia (where it is replaced by the closely related rufous night heron, with which it has hybridized in the area of contact).
Photo: Kyle Nessen, CC0, via iNaturalist
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