Yellow-crowned night-heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

The Yellow-crowned night-heron is a nocturnal heron found throughout most of the Americas especially in warmer coastal regions.

Identification

The yellow-crowned night-heron is a medium-sized rather stocky heron.

Adults

The adult male and female are similar in appearance. They have a black face and bill, with a white cheek, a yellowish crown stripe, gray body and yellow legs.

Immature

Immature birds are brown with tiny white spots on the wings and narrow indistinct streaks on the underparts. The bill isblack.

Gallery

Adult

Guayaquil, Ecuador (2010)

Immature

Guayaquil, Ecuador (2010)

Related Page Hierarchy

Species

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Phylum: Chordata (vertebrates, sea squirts)

Class: Aves (birds)

Order: Ciconiiformes (storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills)

Family: Ardeidae (herons)

Great egret (Ardea alba)

Great blue heron (Ardea herodias)

Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Galápagos heron (Butorides sundevalli)

White-faced heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)

Yellow-crowned night-heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)