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Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Nyctanassa violacea
{Species
Archive Index}
Photo from Lee County Environmental Ed. Dept.
Body-
Slate-gray, L 24"
Bill Description- Dark, spear-like, immature all black
bill
Leg Color- Yellow-Orange (breeding)
Longer than Black-crowned
Other Key Characteristics- White cheeks and crown,
yellowish plumes (adult); back speckled white (juvenile)
Status- Resident
Reproduction- March-June, 3 to 4 pale blue eggs,
loosely constructed stick nests. May nest alone, with other Yellow-crowns, or in large
mixed-species colonies.
Distribution- Breeds from New England to Florida, west
to Texas, north to Minnesota and along Mississippi River. Winters along Florida coastline
north to South Carolina.
Habitat- Coastal mangroves, hardwood swamps
Diet- Primarily crustaceans
Call- Quawk: higher pitched than Black-crowned
Fun facts- Less nocturnal than Black-crowned. Expanded
its range northward in recent decades.
{Species
Archive Index}
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