Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Stocky adults have a black cap and gray wings; juveniles are streaked and brown.
- Bird group
- Shorebirds & wading birds
- Where to look
- Sheltered water edges
- Explore the region
- Coachella Valley bird guide
What to notice
- Stocky adults have a black cap and gray wings; juveniles are streaked and brown.
Where to look
Sheltered water edges
When to look
Start with sheltered waterside roosts and feeding habitat. The linked story explains why daytime stillness can hide an active feeding life.
Next time you are outside
Stocky adults have a black cap and gray wings; juveniles are streaked and brown.
Record a sightingHabitat guidance is not a guaranteed sighting. Photographs may have been taken outside the valley.
Through the lens.
Select any photograph for a closer look. Move through the gallery with the arrows or a swipe.
This is a regional bird guide; photographs may also come from places beyond the valley. Locations are noted when available.
Know what to notice.
The Black-crowned Night Heron is a medium-sized, nocturnal heron often found near year-round water in the Coachella Valley, CA. Adults have a glossy black crown and back, pale gray wings, and vivid red eyes for low-light vision. Juveniles are streaked brown for camouflage.
They roost in colonies daily and become active at dusk, feeding on fish, amphibians, insects, and small mammals. Nests are built near water in trees or shrubs, and both parents care for the young. Their presence signals a healthy aquatic habitat, a vital sign for desert ecosystems.
Read the related story: The Heron You Might Walk Past All Day: Black-crowned Night Herons.
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