The yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea) is a stunning, graceful bird. It is one of the two-night heron species discovered in the Americas, the other being the black-crowned night heron. It also feeds both during the day and during the night. It is classified in French as “bihoreau violacé” and in Spanish as “pedrete corona clara.” With thick, relatively short bills, it has tall, blocky heads. The wings are wide and rounded in flight. It is called a “crab-eater” in some places. In an effort to monitor land crabs, these birds were introduced into Bermuda, which was successful. A very stocky wading bird, ranging from 55 to 70 cm (1 ft 10 in-2 ft 4 in) and 650 to 850 g (1.43-1.87 lb), is the yellow-crowned night heron, the females being a little smaller than the males. A blackhead with a broad white cheek patch, and a creamy yellow crown and head plumes: Adults are cloudy gray birds with a bold face pattern. Immatures with fine white spots on the back and wings are brown; the underparts are striped. The legs are orange-yellow and, in adults, brighter. Compared to its body, the neck, slender when extended, gives the bird a comically large head, with a large and heavy bill. From New York to Kansas and Indiana, and south to South America, southern Brazil, and the Pacific coast of Peru, it breeds along some of the Atlantic coasts. Areas such as mangroves, rocky shores, barrier beaches, and tidal mudflats are populated. Inland wetlands such as swamps, ponds, lakes, lagoons, and marshes are often found. The yellow-crowned night heron, like all herons, flies with long, sluggish, purposeful wing-beats. With its legs clearly visible, stretched straight below the tail, it can be seen gliding over water, unlike the black-crowned night heron, whose legs can scarcely be seen in flight.
(Yellow-Crowned Night Heron)
Yellow-crowned night-herons steadily stalk prey with a hunched, forward-leaning stance in or near shallow water, usually alone. On stumps and tree limbs, they perch silently, sometimes over water. Crustaceans, especially crabs and crayfish, are the majority of their prey. Despite living in colonies, these birds usually forage alone. The abundance of food could be suggested by large groups of herons. In general and foraging behaviors, adolescents and adults expend equal amounts. Adults are more successful at foraging than juveniles, with younger birds learning through observation. Their body size decreases from north to south, and due to the size of the crustaceans they consume in various areas, the form of their bills differs geographically. The Yellow-crowned night heron is a carnivore and consumes primarily crustaceans, but also feeds on fish, amphibians, snails, aquatic insects, and small snakes or young birds that have fallen out of the nest at times. The yellow-crowned, unlike the black-crowned night heron, does not mind living around humans and can be found nesting on rooftops and driveways in wooded communities. Such cohabitation cannot go smoothly and can generate human conflicts. From early spring until mid-summer, yellow-crowned night herons breed. 2 to 4 eggs, light blue-green in color, are laid. Both adults breed the young within the first two weeks. They will only shelter the chicks from the sun, rain or strong wind after this time. Both parents feed the young, taking turns collecting food and protecting the nest. Yellow-crowned night-herons are, like many wetland birds, endangered by habitat destruction and loss. They are considered a delicacy by some cultures and are hunted in specific parts of their range. Many fatalities are caused in urban areas by birds crashing into telephone wires and television towers.
