The black–crowned night heron gets its name from both its coloring (black colored forehead) and its behavior. Like its cousin, the yellow-crowned night heron, black-crowned night herons hunt during the night. Some scientists believe this is due to less competition for food among larger birds at night.
The black–crowned night heron has a heavy body with a short, thick neck. The adults have a blackish-green back, a white underside, yellow-orange legs and a white plume on top of their head. In stark contrast, the juvenile’s body is brown. Adults average about 26 inches in height and have a 46 inch wingspan. Their large eyes help them track prey in the dark.
Black-crowned night herons generally travel in groups and during the day they sit in clusters in trees. They nest in these trees or on the ground within marshes. When breeding season arrives the female will lay one to five eggs in a nest. During the night they also group together hunting in flocks. Black–crowned night herons hunt mainly fish (as well as eat fish remains) but they also track down earthworms, small rodents, insects and crayfish.
