General Description: Yellow-crowned Night-Herons (Nyctanassa violacea) are dark colored, medium-sized herons. They are dark gray overall, with black on the face and a large, white ear patch. The crown is also white. In breeding season, they get white, thread-like plumes on the back of the head, and long plumes of feathers on the back. Juveniles are mottled dark brown and lack the facial coloring.

Taxonomy: Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae. There are six subspecies, including N. v. violacea in the US and south through eastern Mexico to Costa Rica and N. v. pauper in the Galapagos Islands. In the US, the plumage is moderately dark gray, the crown is yellowish, and the black dorsal streaks are relatively broad. The Galapagos birds are similar, except much darker overall with some brown on the crown.

Favored Habitat: Ponds with shallow edges and marshes; saltwater estuaries and mud flats.

Where to Find: Don't look for Yellow-crowned Night-Herons around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them during breeding season from south Texas to Georgia and points south. Ding Darling NWR, the City of Dunedin, and Everglades National Park are good places to see these birds during winter. Also look for them in South America, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Galapagos Islands.

Comments: True to the name, Night Herons are mostly nocturnal and hunt at night when other herons are sleeping.