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Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Nyctanassa violacea

Photo by Ava T-B
Published on Project Noah
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32.7527, -117.228

Field Notes

Description:

This is a stocky heron that, contrary to it's name, forages in the day time as well as at night. It has a distinctive black and white face with about two yellow plumes on its head.

Habitat:

This bird lives and hunts crustaceans that are abundant in marshes and other lowlands. It nests in trees that are over water.

Notes:

According to Sibley and AllAboutBirds, these are rare on the West Coast of the US where I saw this one. It's in a protected marsh called Famosa Slough (https://www.famosaslough.org/).

Reference Links:

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (1)
Tukup
Way cool Ava. Hope to spot one of these my next time in San Diego even though I see they are rare. Thanks for sharing.

Spotted for Missions

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WILD Cities: Urban Biodiversity
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California Coastal Wildlife Watch
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Birds of the World
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Southern California Wildlife
Photographed
PublishedMay 28, 2023

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