Black-Crowned Night Heron
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
The Black-crowned Night Heron (Aukuu in
Hawaiian) is an attractive bird to watch.
This heron has a stocky, chunky body with short, strong legs and neck, and
large red eyes. The body of the black-crowned night heron looks as if it is hunched over, or squat shaped with its head
usually tucked down into its shoulder. When in flight, the heron tucks its neck
in close to the body and rarely extends it. They have a short thick sharp
pointed black bill. The body of an adult Heron is 58 72 cm (20
28 inches) long.The eye of the black-crowned night heron is radish
and their legs are a dull gray.
The plumage is gray with a distinctive black cap with a fallen
crest of two to three narrow white plumes at the back of the head. The heron has
a black back and the face, throat, fore neck and belly are white.
During the
breeding season, the black feathers from the head and back emit a bluish-green
gloss and the legs become red. Wings and tails are blue-gray and legs and feet
are usually yellow. .
DIET
The diet of the Black-crowned Night Heron depends on
what is available, and may include algae, fishes, leeches, earthworms, insects,
crayfish, mussels, squid, amphibians, small rodents, plant materials.
DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT
Black-crowned night herons are found by marshes at
night and by day they roost communally. Besides marshes, they inhabit wetlands,
like ponds, swamps, tropical mangroves, streams, rivers, mud flats, and edges of
lakes. They have even been found in rice fields and other agricultural habitats
near water.
Night herons are distributed almost worldwide
including North America, South America, South Europe, Africa, South Asia,
Falkland Islands, and Hawaii.
BEHAVIOR
Black-crowned night herons associate with other species
of herons frequently and are socially active all year. These herons have a deep
croaking call sounding like quark. Adult herons will defend their feeding
and nesting area. he black-crowned night heron is usually a nocturnal
feeder but it will feed during the daytime during the breeding season or when
there is a food shortage. The black-crowned night heron is an expert at still
fishing". It can stand motionless for long periods in shallow water, on
pilings, or on floating docks watching and waiting for its prey. A thrust of its
bill into the water catches small fish. 
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