Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

Nyctinassa Violacea

Scientific Name

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron:  
Nyctinassa Violacea

Distribution and Habitat

Geographic Range

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron’s range is from southern New England south to Florida and west to Texas. They winter on the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts.

Natural Habitat

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron’s range is from southern New England south to Florida and west to Texas. They winter on the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts.

Physical Characteristics

  • Yellow-Crowned Night Herons are short, stocky wading birds about 24 inches in length and have a wingspan of about four feet. Adults are blue-grey with a black and white patterned head. The head of an adult is black with a yellowish crown stripe and a white cheek patch. Their eye color changes as they mature, juveniles are yellow or orange and adults are red. The legs are yellow and turn pinkish-red on breeding adults. The bill is short, stout and black on both adults and juveniles. They acquire adult plumage two years of age and the plumage will turn bright yellow during breeding season. They are not sexual dichromatic. They weigh no more than 1.5 pounds.

Quick Facts

  1. Yellow-Crowned Night Herons have a distinct yellow plumage during mating season.

  2. Yellow-Crowned Night Herons live in wooded swamps, fresh and saltwater marshes and thickets.

Exhibit

M&T Bank Rainforest Falls

Conservation Status

Least Concern: The Yellow-Crowned Night Heron is common or abundant and is likely to survive in the wild.

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Diet

Carnivore

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron forages both day and night. Most of the diet is made up of crustaceans, like crabs and crayfish. They also eat fish, mussels, frogs, aquatic insects and small snakes. They either stand and wait for their prey to swim by or wades in shallow water stalking it.