Nycticorax nycticorax - Black-crowned Night Heron
Feather characters. Barbules are of medium length (1.4-1.7 mm). Pigmentation is variable and differs between different body parts. Concentration of pigment varies from none to lightly stippled pigment in the internodes, and it decreases distally. Borders between cells are visible, but hardly swollen and thus too small to qualify as nodes. These nodal structures (12-14 per mm) have about the same size along the entire length of the barbules, only slightly decreasing towards the tip. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Minute prongs are mostly located on proximal end of barbules on both sides of the pennulum.
Field characters. Size 58-65 cm. Weight 883 g (727-1014) (Dunning, 1993). A small, stocky heron with rather short legs. Adult with black back, pale underparts, black crown and 2-3 long white plumes extending from nape down to back. Eyes red, legs yellowish (pink in breeding season), bill stout, black. Juvenile dull, dark brown above, spotted with whitish-buff; underparts greyish with dark streaks. Looks compact in flight with head closely retracted and without long trailing legs. Roosts by day in thick cover; mainly active at dusk and during night.
Voice. Call is a coarse, Raven-like croak: 'wok', 'quark', 'hwack', or 'guok', usually uttered in flight.
Distribution. Local breeding bird which nests in small to relatively large colonies. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Builds nest in trees or, when woody growth is absent, in reedbeds and other emergent vegetation; also arboreal when resting or roosting. Prefers shallow lakes, ponds, lagoons, rivers, streams, swamps and other wetlands with shallow, fresh standing or gently flowing water.
Food. Mainly amphibians, fish, and insects; nocturnal or crepuscular feeder.