Black-crowned Night Heron

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.