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"Adult Black-crowned Night-Herons apparently do not distinguish between their young and those from other nests, and will brood chicks that are not their own. "
"Young Black-crowned Night-Herons often disgorge their stomach contents when disturbed, distracting predators and easing flight. This habit makes it easy to study its diet."
Scientific Name -
Nycticorax nycticorax
RANGE - 5 Continents
LIFESPAN - ?
DIET - Aquatic invertebrates, fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, rodents, eggs & small mammals.
WEIGHT - 1.5 to 2.5 lbs.
HEIGHT - 23 to 28 inches
WINGSPAN - 45 to 46 inches
STATUS - ?
PROTECTION - ?
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The Black-crowned Night-Heron can be found throughout Tennessee at lakes, rivers, ponds, streams and marshes. Ussually perched near the waters edge or walking the shoreline in search of a meal. The first five pictures in the "photo gallery" are of a fishing session at Shelby Park in Nashville. While watching these birds hunt, I realized they were true fishers, by using thier beak to create a disturbance in the mud or vegatation, they could attract small fish. Like using a fishing lure. Although they mainly eat small fish, they are also known to eat crustaceans, frogs, insects, lizards and small mammals. Known to hunt at night and twilight and rest in trees and bushes during the day, habits may very, as I have seen them hunt at mid day. Black-crowned Night Heron build thier platform like nest out of sticks in trees and on the ground. The female lays 3 to 8 eggs. This heron is a migratory bird, outside the warmer climates, and ussually migrates at night. The scientific name, Nycticorax, means "night raven", refering to its nocturnal habits and crow like call. With a range spanning 5 continents, including much of North America, the Black-crowned Night-Heron is the most widespread heron in the world.
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