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Black-crowned Night HeronAlternate name(s): "Night Heron" ![]() Size: 58-65 cm; wing span 1.05-1.15 m Weight: 380-900 g |
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Photos |
Race "nycticorax"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Close-up frontal view of a resting Black-crowned Night Heron
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Badajoz, Badajoz province, Spain, June 2019]
Frontal view of an adult Black-crowned Night Heron
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]
Close-up near-frontal view of a resting Black-crowned Night Heron
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Badajoz, Badajoz province, Spain, June 2019]
Near-frontal view of a Black-crowned Night Heron
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]
Lateral portrait of a Black-crowned Night Heron
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Badajoz, Badajoz province, Spain, June 2019]
Lateral view of a Black-crowned Night Heron
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Oristano, western Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]
Lateral view of a Black-crowned Night Heron
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]
Dorsal view of a Black-crowned Night Heron
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Black-crowned Night Heron
in gliding flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Dorsal view of an adult Black-crowned Night Heron, top,
with a second-summer immature bird, bottom - note the
young bird's brownish-grey upperparts where the adult
is black
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo River estuary, Portugal, February 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]
Lateral view of a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron
in flight, wings down
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Lateral view of a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron
in flight, wings up
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Apr? - Oct? | Eggs: 3 - 5 | Incubation period: 21 - 22 days | Fledging age: 42 - 49 days |
Black-crowned Night Herons are colonial breeders. The timing of the breeding season depends on geographic latitude. In the southern parts of their breeding range Black-crowned Night Herons can have 2 broods per season.
Nest building: Male | Incubation: Female & male | Dependent care: Female & male |
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Nest |
Type: Basket | Material: Sticks, rushes, reeds | Height above ground: ? |
Frontal/ventral view of a Black-crowned Night Heron near its nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]
Frontal/ventral view of a preening Black-crowned Night Heron
near its nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]
Black-crowned Night Heron of very different appearance in their nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]
Black-crowned Night Heron of very different appearance in their nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[April 2019]
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Eggs |
Size: 50 x 37 mm | Colour: Matt light-grey | Shape: Elliptical |
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Behaviour |
Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron using its camouflage
cryptic plumage
to hide in waterside vegetation
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]
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Food, Diet |
All egrets and herons prey on aquatic creatures in fresh water or estuaries (fish, frogs, snakes or crustaceans).
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
nheron_jp_20201024.m4a |
nycticorax (Portugal) |
Contact calls(?) | © JP |
More Black-crowned Night Heron sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.