Learn what an adult and juvenile black-crowned night-heron looks like. Plus, find out where you can see one of these wading birds.
How to Identify a Black-Crowned Night-Heron
Published on Jun. 10, 2025
Black-Crowned Night-Heron Identification
“Can you identify this bird (above)? I spotted it at a local park,” asks Birds & Blooms reader Lou Stoker of Bakersfield, California.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “This is an excellent photo of an adult black-crowned night-heron. It’s a species that is widespread in North America (and four other continents) but is easy to overlook.”
Once it’s all grown up, this wetland species is quite stately, with thick black bills, ebony crowns and backs, and gray wings and bodies that fade into lighter-hued bellies. Adult birds have deep color in their eyes.
This wading bird also has long-toed feet that help it walk in water and on mud.
Learn about 10 egrets and herons found in North America.
Juvenile Birds
Immature birds appear more like bitterns than night-herons because of their broad brown streaks. Their bills have lots of yellow that slowly turns black. Eyes start off yellow-orange but gain richer color over time, eventually turning nearly red.
Young black-crowned night-herons start to fly at 6 weeks old. Until then, they travel on foot.
Diet and Habitat
Kenn and Kimberly say, “True to its name, it does a lot of its feeding at night, hunting along the water’s edge for minnows, frogs and crayfish. During the day, night-herons may simply rest in dense trees or thickets near the water.”
Learn how to identify a green heron.
Range and Nesting Habits
Black-crowned night-herons are found in the lower 48 during summer breeding season and all year on both coasts. Their relatives, yellow-crowneds, breed throughout the southeast, but are seen year-round in Florida.
Just like great blue herons, these birds nest in colonies, sometimes with other wading birds. “Nest building is an important process, the males typically bring in sticks and branches and the females assist in placement,” says Birds & Blooms reader Pam DeCamp.
Sounds and Calls
Bird sounds courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Listen for a loud barking call as well as squawks, croaks and other noises.
About the Experts
Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman are the official bird experts for Birds & Blooms. They are the creators of the Kaufman Field Guide series and they lead birding trips all over the world.
