Black-crowned Night Heron

This short, stocky, heron is hard to mistake for any other bird once you learn its shape. Mostly pale gray or white, but with a dark blue-green cap and back; heavy, pointed bill; proportionately large, red eye. The Peterson guides describe the cap and back as "black," but they are actually a very dark bluish-green that may look black in low light. The heavy, pointed bill, bright red eye, and typical posture are fairly distinctive (the bird usually keeps its neck tucked in). Legs ordinarily yellow but become pinkish during breeding season. The two head plumes are also a feature of breeding plumage (see photo above). Tends to stand still, hunched over, in or near water while hunting (often on tree roots near the water line), or perched higher in trees resting during the day (but usually near water). Becomes more active at dusk and forages at night. Often roosts colonially. I've seen as many as 60 together in the trees at the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Nests in rookeries with its own kind and with egrets and other herons. Santa Rosa's "Ninth Street Rookery" is a great place to see these birds in breeding plumage. Juveniles are an overall palish brown, but streaked on the breast, neck, and head, and spotted white on the wings (photo below).

Superficially resembles Green Heron, and juveniles may resemble juvenile Great Blue Heron. Black-crowned Night Heron, however, is considerably larger than Green Heron (Butorides virescens, our smallest heron) and noticeably smaller than Great Blue Heron (our biggest). Green Heron stands about 18 inches tall (45cm), Black-crowned Night Heron about 25 inches tall (65cm), Great Blue Heron about 45 inches tall (115cm). Green Heron, while not really green, is rather differently colored (see photo below)--Note that bird's yellow eye, brown neck, striping in the wings, and greenish cap and back. The proportionately large, orange-red eye of Black-Crowned Night Heron is not shared by any other similar bird.