American night heron, Squawk
The Yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea) is a gorgeous graceful bird. More solitary than the Black-crowned night heron and often more secretive, this species is quite common in some parts of the southeast, especially in coastal regions. It often feeds during the day as well as at night. Its stout bill is probably an adaptation for eating hard-shelled crustaceans. In some areas, it is called "crab-eater". These birds were introduced into Bermuda in an attempt to control land crabs, which was successful.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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Wading birdsWading birds forage along shorelines and mudflats searching for small aquatic prey crawling or burrowing in the mud and sand. These birds live in w...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
Soaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
Gliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe Yellow-crowned night heron is a rather stocky wading bird, with the females being a little smaller than the males. The neck, slim when extended, exposes its large head (compared to its body), with a large and heavy bill. The body and back are a smooth grey-blue, with a black scaled pattern on the wings. The long legs are yellow and turn coral, pink, or red during courtship. The most characteristic part of the yellow-crowned night heron is the head: black and glossy, with white cheeks and a pale yellow crown going from the bill, between the eyes, and to the back of the head, giving the bird its common name. Such colors make the face appear striped in a horizontal black-white-black-white pattern. Long, thin, white feathers grow to the back of the crown during mating season. The bill, also black, is thick and deeply set under the eyes which are dark orange or red. It takes about three years for Yellow-crowned night herons to acquire the full physical appearance of adults. Before that, the young birds show signs of immaturity such as a brownish body, an overall greyish head, drab colors and spots and streaks on their plumage. Although the adults are easy to tell apart, juvenile Yellow-crowned night heron can look very similar to juvenile black-crowned night heron. Yellow-crowned juveniles tend to stand straighter and have heavier bills and longer legs, and their spots and streaks are finer than those of the black-crowned.
The Yellow-crowned night-heron inhabits the central United States and coastal areas in the east of the U.S, as well as Central America and in the north of South America, and around the Galapagos and Caribbean Islands. It breeds along some Atlantic coasts, from New York to Kansas and Indiana, and south to South America, southern Brazil and the Pacific Coast of Peru. It winters on Atlantic and Gulf coasts, as far as South Carolina. In warmer locations, the birds are resident. They inhabit areas such as mangroves, rocky coasts, barrier beaches, and tidal mudflats. They are sometimes found in inland wetlands like swamps, rivers, lakes, lagoons and marshes.
Yellow-crowned night herons are mainly nocturnal, but sometimes will seek food at any time of the day. Apart from reproduction, this bird’s behavior can be divided into two categories: foraging and general. When not foraging, adults slowly walk through shallow waters of wetlands, coastal thickets and swamps, rarely entering deep waters. Preening is common and is an important behavior for these birds. Adults preen both themselves and each other, especially after foraging. The birds’ foraging behavior is based around a slow, stalking movement as they search in the shallow water for prey. When they find a prey item, they strike quickly, crushing it in their wide, stout beak. These birds typically forage alone, despite living in colonies. Large groups of herons may indicate the abundance of food. Juveniles and adults spend similar amounts in general and foraging behaviors. Adults are more efficient than juveniles at foraging, the younger birds learning by observation.
The Yellow-crowned night heron is carnivore and mainly eats crustaceans, but will also feed on fish, amphibians, snails, aquatic insects, and sometimes small snakes or young birds that have fallen from the nest.
This species is monogamous and nests either on its own or in a colony with four to five nests nearby. If in a colony, a pair will construct its nest on a different tree or perhaps on the ground. Pairs form either during migration or on the breeding range early on in the breeding season. Courtship displays include a circle flight used for territorial defense. Yellow-crowned night herons breed from early spring until mid-summer. 2 to 4 eggs are laid, of a pale blue green color. Usually one brood per season, is produced, sometimes two. Incubation is for around 21 to 25 days, and the parents take turns, and both feed the chicks with regurgitated food during the first few days. The young remain with the nest for about 25 days until they can fly, but will leave it to follow their parents along the shore. If threatened, chicks may climb onto branches to hide.
Like many wetland birds, Yellow-crowned night-herons are threatened by habitat degradation and loss. Some cultures consider them a delicacy and they are hunted in particular parts of their range. In urban areas, many deaths are caused by birds crashing into telephone wires and television towers.
According to IUCN, the Yellow-crowned night heron is common and widespread throughout its large range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) and their numbers today remain stable.
The major role of the Yellow-crowned night-heron within its ecosystem is as a predator. Their prey items cover a wide variety, however, they mostly eat crustacean prey and their biggest impact is on crayfish and crab communities. Aside from human predation, these birds are not typically the prey of other species. Their freshwater and brackish habitats are specialized enough that they tend not to face competition from other species, such as scarlet ibis.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...