H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

Yellow-crowned Night Heron – Spec. Name: Nyctanassa Violacea

Formerly placed in the genus Nycticorax, also called the American Night Heron or squawk, is a fairly small heron, similar in appearance to the Black-crowned Night Heron. It is found throughout a large part of the Americas, especially (but not exclusively) in warmer coastal regions; an example occurrence is the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatan.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Adults are about 61 cm long and weigh 625 g. They have a white crown and back with the remainder of the body grayish, red eyes and short yellow legs. They have a white stripe below the eye. Juveniles resemble young Black-crowned Night-Herons, being mainly brown flecked with white or gray.

These birds stalk their prey or wait in ambush at the water’s edge, mainly at night. They mainly eat crustaceans, mollusks, frogs, aquatic insects and small fish.

Photographs are © H.J. Ruiz – “My Backyard Visitors” – Taken near a canal in Sarasota, Florida.

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