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Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron

The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron is endangered in the State of Indiana.  Yet, once these birds were abundant.  Amos Butler, one of Indiana's most renowned naturalists and author of the 1890 book Birds of Indiana, noted one rookery near Vincennes of approximately 100 pairs as the northermost known for the species.

 

Special Species

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

(Nyctanassa violacea)

Yellow-crowned Night-herons are an endangered species in the State of Indiana. Killed for the plumes that adorn breeding birds, the Yellow-crowned night-heron was pursued by gunners who sold the bird’s feathers and meat in city markets during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The year 1920 marked the end of the millinery trade and the start of the birds’ population recovery.

A nocturnal heron of southern swamps and coasts, this bird can also be found during summer months along the wooded streams of Illinois and Indiana. The night-heron typically forages at night, but may be seen during daylight hours. Even with its daytime activities, the handsome bird’s slow movement, along with its shy behavior, make it a difficult bird to spot.

Unlike the Great Heron which is often seen standing motionless in shallow water, the Yellow-crowned Night-heron will stir up its prey by wading briskly at waters edge. With a quick motion, it uses its sword-like bill to stab its prey. This heron’s diet consists mainly of crustaceans, especially crayfish and crabs. It will also dine upon lower vertebrates, fish, insects, leeches, and young birds. It’s not unusual to see one prey upon a small turtle, because it has a unique stomach acid to help digest the shell.

The bird’s flight pattern is graceful and strong, it’s entire lower leg extended beyond it’s tail. It roosts in trees.

A colony-nesting bird, the herons lay eggs in clutches of 3-5 eggs. The nests are made of sticks and twigs, often measuring 2-3 feet across. Typically located low in a tree by a body of water, nests may occasionally be found on the ground.

Both the male and female will take turns incubating the eggs which hatch in about 3 weeks. Both parents care for the chicks, feeding them regurgitated food. Appearing in mid-June, the young are uniformly brown streaked and fledge (become able to fly) when they are about 25 days old.

 

 

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