Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Gewone Nagreier |
| Albanian | Ҫafka e natës |
| Arabic | بلشون الليل أسود التاج |
| Armenian | Կվակվա |
| Assamese | কোৱাক চৰাই |
| Asturian | Garcia nocherniega |
| Azerbaijani | Qarıldaq |
| Basque | Amiltxori arrunta |
| Bulgarian | Обикновена нощна чапла |
| Catalan | martinet de nit comú |
| Chinese | 夜鷺 |
| Chinese (Hong Kong SAR China) | 夜鷺 |
| Chinese (SIM) | 夜鹭 |
| Croatian | gak |
| Czech | kvakoš noční |
| Danish | Nathejre |
| Dutch | Kwak |
| English | Black-crowned Night Heron |
| English (HAW) | ʻAukuʻu - Black-crowned Night Heron |
| English (United States) | Black-crowned Night Heron |
| Faroese | Nátthegri |
| Finnish | yöhaikara |
| French | Bihoreau gris |
| French (France) | Bihoreau gris |
| Galician | Garza noiteira común |
| German | Nachtreiher |
| Greek | Νυχτοκόρακας |
| Haitian Creole (Haiti) | Kòk lannwit kouwòn nwa |
| Hebrew | אנפת לילה |
| Hungarian | Bakcsó |
| Icelandic | Nátthegri |
| Indonesian | Kowak-malam abu |
| Italian | Nitticora |
| Japanese | ゴイサギ |
| Korean | 해오라기 |
| Latvian | Nakts gārnis |
| Lithuanian | Paprastasis naktikovis |
| Malayalam | പാതിരാക്കൊക്ക് |
| Marathi | रातबगळा |
| Mongolian | Ногоовор зашин |
| Norwegian | natthegre |
| Odia | ରାତିବଗୁଲି |
| Persian | حواصیل شب |
| Polish | ślepowron |
| Portuguese (Angola) | Goraz-comum |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | socó-dorminhoco |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Goraz |
| Romanian | Stârc de noapte |
| Russian | Кваква |
| Serbian | Gak |
| Slovak | chavkoš nočný |
| Slovenian | Kvakač |
| Spanish | Martinete Común |
| Spanish (Argentina) | Garza Bruja |
| Spanish (Chile) | Huairavo común |
| Spanish (Costa Rica) | Martinete Coroninegro |
| Spanish (Cuba) | Guanabá de la Florida |
| Spanish (Dominican Republic) | Rey Congo |
| Spanish (Ecuador) | Garza Nocturna (Huaque) Coroninegra |
| Spanish (Honduras) | Garza Nocturna Corona Negra |
| Spanish (Mexico) | Garza Nocturna Corona Negra |
| Spanish (Panama) | Garza Nocturna Coroninegra |
| Spanish (Paraguay) | Garza bruja |
| Spanish (Peru) | Huaco Común |
| Spanish (Puerto Rico) | Yaboa Real |
| Spanish (Spain) | Martinete común |
| Spanish (Uruguay) | Garza Bruja |
| Spanish (Venezuela) | Guaco |
| Swedish | natthäger |
| Thai | นกแขวก |
| Turkish | Gece Balıkçılı |
| Ukrainian | Квак звичайний |
Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus, 1758)
Definitions
- NYCTICORAX
- nycticorax
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Scientific name definitions
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Photos from this Account
Adult (American)
Stocky and compact heron. Often tucks neck into its body creating a hunchbacked look. Adult has a black cap and back that contrasts with its whitish to pale gray belly and gray wings.
Juvenile
Thick-necked heron with a thick bill. Juvenile is brown and streaky overall. Note pale yellowish bill.
Juvenile
Juvenile is brown overall with heavy blurry streaking on the neck and white spotting on the wings.
Immature (American)
Immature has a mix of juvenile and adult plumage. This individual has faint streaking on the chest, a dark gray cap, and a nearly complete dark gray back.
Adult (Eurasian)
Adult (Eurasian)
Adult (American)
Flies with its neck tucked in with only part of its feet trailing behind. In flight, note pale underparts.
Adult (Dusky)
Residents in southern South America are darker brown overall with a gray cap.
Adult (Dusky)
Often stands motionless while watching for prey. Individuals in southern South America are darker below with a paler gray cap.
Habitat
Found in wetland habitats including estuaries, marshes, streams, lakes, and reservoirs.
Adult Black-crowned Night-Heron, FL, April.
Night-Herons can appear raptor-like in flight, with broad wings and heavy bodies. Note short foot-projection beyond tail, a key field mark for distinguishing Black-crowned from Yellow-crowned, which has longer legs.; photographer Arthur Morris
Black-crowned Night-Heron, juvenile
; photographer William L. Newton
Adult Black-crowned Night-Heron foraging, Lake Martin, LA, April.
Note dark bill and upperparts, and pale gray underparts. Night-Herons sit motionlessly just above the water's surface, and watch for aquatic prey. ; photographer Arthur Morris
Adult Black-crowned Night-Heron with chick at cliff nest, Pt. Lobos, CA, 17 July.
Please visit this photographer's Flickr stream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/teddyllovet/
Presumed first-spring Black-crowned Night-Heron, Baja California Sur, April.
Note dark gray crown (not streaked as in first-fall) and dusky blurred underparts. This could be a two-year old bird that did not acquire adult-like plumage., Apr 04, 2007; photographer Tom Haglund
Second-year Black-crowned Night-Heron, Humber Bay, Toronto, 20 November.
This bird is completing its second prebasic molt, which results in an adult-like plumage, but is generally darker and duskier overall. Visit this photographer's Flickr stream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/berniemonette/
Black-crowned Night-Heron nest colony, Potholes, WA, 1 April.
Black-crowned Night-Herons nest colonially in trees. They build bulky stick nests, which are easily seen before leaf-out. Visit this photographer's Flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brewbooks/
Adult Black-crowned Night-Heron foraging in deep water, Montezuma NWR, NY, July.
Deep water foraging is unusual in this species.; photographer Gerrit Vyn
Adult Black-crowned Night-Heron with prey, Everglades NP, 1 March.
Visit this contributor's Flickr photo gallery here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandrino/
Adult Black-crowned Night Heron at nest, CA, May.
In some cases Black-crowned Night-Herons nest on cliffs rather than in trees. The following link is to this contributor's website. http://www.featherlightphoto.com/, May 26, 2008; photographer Steve Zamek
Black-crowned Night-Heron egg.
Photographer James Villeneuve; egg specimen from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
Black-crowned Night-Heron clutch.
Photographer James Villeneuve; egg specimens from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
Macaulay Library Photos for Black-crowned Night Heron
Top-rated photos submitted to the Macaulay Library via eBird. Note: Our content editors have not confirmed the species identification for these photos.
