(Nycticorax nycticorax)
23 - 26 inches

photograph © Walker Golder

Status: No special status in North Carolina.

Identification: Black-crowned Night-Herons are distinguished from other wading birds by their short, stocky appearance, black back and gray wings, white-grayish neck and belly, and distinctive black crown. Two to three long white plumes extend from the back of the head. The bill is thick and black in color, and the legs are yellowish.

Nesting Habitat: Black-crowned Night-Herons nest in a variety of habitats including shrub thickets, coastal and swamp forests, and marshes. Nests are often elevated, but may be on the ground. This species nests singly, in small colonies or in mixed-species colonies with other wading birds.

Breeding Biology: Adults begin to breed when two or three years of age. Initiation of nesting activities usually begins in late March and can continue until June. Black-crowned Night-Herons construct platform nests in trees, shrubs or marsh, usually beneath the canopy. The female lays three to five pale greenish-blue eggs. Both parents participate in 21 to 22 days of incubation. Nestlings begin to fly at six to seven weeks of age. Adults and juveniles may remain at colony sites until late August.

Food: Black-crowned Night-Herons often forage from early evening to early morning. Food consists primarily of fish, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles and insects. This species will also prey on nestling birds of other species, mollusks and small mammals.

State Nesting Population: Stable, approximately 230 nesting pairs (coastal).

Major Threats: Human disturbances at nesting sites.

Waterbirds:
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Last Revision 5/21/98