Home › Aves › Ardeidae › Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
SPECIES PROFILE
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Nycticorax
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Indian subcontinent Europe Africa
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Wetlands marshes mangroves
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Ciconiiformes
FAMILY
Ardeidae
GENUS
Nycticorax
📋 Description
SIZE
58-65 cm long 500-800 g
COLORATION
Black crown back white underparts red eyes
ADAPTATIONS
Stocky build nocturnal hunting
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Wetlands marshes mangroves
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Indian subcontinent Europe Africa
REPRODUCTION
Lays 3-5 eggs in tree or reed nests incubated 21-23 days
DIET DETAILS
Fish crustaceans insects
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Wetland drainage pollution
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Night Stalkers: Black-crowned Night Herons hunt with 600-gram bodies eating 150 grams of fish daily in Chilika's wetlands. Their red eyes glow at dusk.
2
Colonial Nesters: These herons cover 4000 sq km in Odisha's marshes nesting in trees. Pollution threatens their feeding grounds.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Chilika Lake in Odisha
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan
Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
October-March Dry season concentrates prey for spotting herons
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Watch black-crowned night herons at dusk in wetlands
