|
Yellow-crowned Night Heron |
|
Nyctanassa violacea |
| Description:
22-27" medium-sized heron, adult slate gray with
black head, white cheeks, yellowish crown and plumes, black
bill, yellow or orange legs, black face with white cheeks,
buffy-white crown, dark stocky bill |
Habitat: Uncommon and local in tidal mudflats, mangrove swamps, cypress swamps, marshes, riverbanks, lakes, lagoons lush swamps and rocky shores. Found along coast but also inland near water's edge. Roosts in tall trees. Hunts at night, but also frequently seen during the day. |
| Nesting: 3-5 blue green eggs in a nest made of sticks in a tree or occasionally on the ground, nests in colonies | Range: breeds from New England south to Florida and west to Texas, winters in breeding areas and tropics |
| Voice: A loud quawk! that is higher pitched than that of Black-crowned Night Heron | Diet: crustacean mainly, especially crayfish, crabs, also lower vertebrates, fish, insects, leeches, young birds |
| Notes: Stalks prey quietly in shallow water, flight is graceful and strong, roosts in tall trees, large bill permits larger prey |
| When present in Oklahoma: Can be seen statewide in summer, extreme central and northern sections in winter |