Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Black-crowned Night Heron

 Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Although Black-crowned Night Herons are common across North America (and also many other places worldwide) I had never heard of them until I started birding a few years ago.

Standing  on a dead branch in a marsh

The require a habitat near water but are not fussy about what kind: fresh or salt water marshes, swamps, streams, brackish wetlands...

Hunting

Their diet is varied: earthworms, leeches, insects, fish, turtles, snakes, turtles, plants...whatever, including garbage in landfills.

Asleep

As their name night heron suggests, they are most active at night or dusk.

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

56 comments:

  1. Muito bem apanhada esta bela ave guardadora do rio.
    Um abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.

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  2. Wow, gorgeous captures of the BC Night heron. They are cool birds, I always see them in the daylight on the hunt. Have a happy day!

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  3. Got them down here on the C&O Canal, but I only see them now and again.

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  4. What a gorgeous photos of heron! Just beautiful and expressive.

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  5. Beautiful photos that show the feathers in a detailed way.

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  6. Lovely shots of this beautiful bird! Obviously he was not to afraid of you or your camera!

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  7. A beautiful bird captured in these wonderful poses.

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  8. Never heard of them so thanks for the great photos and information. Maybe some of them are lurking in wetlands near me.

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  9. Great series, all shots are wonderful!

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  10. Fine portrait w/ brief information sketch.

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  11. Boa tarde, a garça é linda, não conhecia este tipo de garça, os detalhes da mesma e a cor bem fotografado é excelente. as fotos são magicas.
    AG

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  12. He's a very handsome chap. I wonder if there any visiting the pond at the end of my street.

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  13. Nice looking bird! It's like he posed for you.

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  14. these are really gorgeous, especially the light!!!

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  15. Such a beautiful bird and he does seem to be posing for you!! Terrific captures as always!! Hope you're enjoying a beautiful day!!

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  16. "Please to meet you Mr Night Eron "! Amazing bird and you got a perfect sequence in your shots!I didn't know this eron, thanks for this article!
    He is cute, isn't he? :)
    Hugs
    Leia

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  17. Quite a distinctive bird. We probably have them here, but I've never seen them.

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  18. Super shots of this feathery fellow EG.

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  19. I had never seen one before this summer when one moved into the pond in Wychwood Park and then I saw him for a few weeks but he seems to have moved on!. Cool shots as usual, EG!

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  20. Fantastic captures! I spotted the little turtle photo bombing!

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  21. Wow! You got some great shots of this guy.

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  22. this one did not seem to mind a human visitor either :) Great shots :)

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  23. Great photos of a very beautiful heron.

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  24. Nice photos - one of my favorite birds, but here I usually see them hanging out on fishing boats in the harbor.

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  25. This is a great bird....sneaky at times:)

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  26. Those first two shots, especially, are superb portraits. I still think you ought to do a photo book (coffee table book) of the birds in your area.

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  27. they're so cool.i've only seen the yellow-crowned ones here.

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  28. Beautiful bird, superb photos!

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  29. Great shots, I like the one showing his red eye, he looks sleepy in the last one, so laid-back and cute.

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  30. Nice images, EG, especially the first one. I do see herons, especially in Florida, but I am not aware of this one. I will start looking when I get back to Naples.

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  31. Beautiful bird. It is very calm and composed.

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  32. Nice to see him up close. He looks very calm.

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  33. nice final portrait especially. I think I saw my first of these while in California. Always a pleasure to visit here











    ALOHA
    ComfortSpiral

    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

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  34. Beautiful shots! I don't see night herons nearly as much as I'd like though after reading about their diets I'm a little less enthusiastic.

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  35. Wow - fabulous shots.

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  36. Wonderful images of a very focused looking bird!

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  37. Fabulous pictures especially the first one..

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  38. What a gorgeous bird! Beautiful images!

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  39. What a handsome, sturdy bird. I have never seen the Black Heron in our area, though we certainly have numerous water options for them. We do get Green Herons ... maybe they don't share territory. This is a nice series EC and I especially like the shot with the reflection ... Nice!

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  40. Great photos! A wonderful heron encounter!

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  41. I have not seen them here, but seen them when in California with daughter. They were in the park and we could pass within just a few feet of them and they were not afraid. And same with the Great Blue Heron.

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  42. Great photos! (I never knew about them until I started birding, either. My first encounter was purely by accident. Recently I got photos of a juvenile, my first time ever for that.)

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