Species › Birds › Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Nyctanassa violacea

CommonBird
Illustration of Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is a medium-sized heron of coastal areas and inland wetlands, distinguished from the Black-crowned Night-Heron by its black-and-white head pattern with a yellow-buff crown. It specializes in catching crustaceans, particularly crayfish, which its heavy bill is adapted to crush. It is more diurnal than the Black-crowned.

Habitat
Coastal marshes, mangroves, swamps, and stream banks
Diet
Crayfish, crabs, and aquatic invertebrates
How common
Common

Best time to see a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

The best time to see a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is April–July, when about 64% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 59,181 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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