Black-crowned Night-Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax

The Black-crowned Night-Heron is found on all continents except for Antarctica. In the S.F. Bay Area, a reliable place to see them is at Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA. They can be found near the boatyard (Bellevue Ave and Staten Ave). There are always a few hanging out around the fence and bushes. You can even get fairly close to them without alarming them. I have also seen them nesting at Bird Rock, Point Lobos (south of Carmel, CA) near the Brandt's Cormorants.

Black-crowned Night-Herons are tree nesters. Sexes look similar, but the female are slightly smaller. They primarily eat at night. Their food consists of small fish, crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects and small mammals.

Juvenile

05/19/2015 - San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, San Diego, CA 05/19/2015 - San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, San Diego, CA	05/19/2015 - San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, San Diego, CA 05/19/2015 - San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, San Diego, CA	Feeding young 05/20/2007 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA) Feeding young 05/20/2007 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA)
Can just see the beak and part of the head of the chick 05/20/2007 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA) Can just see the beak and part of the head of the chick 05/20/2007 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA)	Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron 11/10/2008 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron 11/10/2008 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA	06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA) 06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA)
06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA) 06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA)	10/30/2008 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA 10/30/2008 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

Adult

Tug-a-war, the Western Gull won the fish, won 2nd at Berkeley Camera Club 10/07/2011 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA Tug-a-war, the Western Gull won the fish, won 2nd at Berkeley Camera Club 10/07/2011 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA	Note the tongue 01/10/2011 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA Note the tongue 01/10/2011 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA	Note the tongue 01/10/2011 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA Note the tongue 01/10/2011 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA
Either leucistic or albino, believe albino because of the lack of color in bill and feet 11/15/2012 - Tracy Aviary, Salt Lake City, Utah Either leucistic or albino, believe albino because of the lack of color in bill and feet 11/15/2012 - Tracy Aviary, Salt Lake City, Utah	12/12/2015 - Kauai Lagoon Golf Course, Kauai, HI 12/12/2015 - Kauai Lagoon Golf Course, Kauai, HI	12/03/2007 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA 12/03/2007 - Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA
01/26/2009 - Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary, Marin, CA 01/26/2009 - Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary, Marin, CA	05/16/2013 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA) 05/16/2013 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA)	Taken near sunrise 12/14/2015 - Kauai Lagoon Golf Course, Kauai, HI Taken near sunrise 12/14/2015 - Kauai Lagoon Golf Course, Kauai, HI
06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA) 06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA)	06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA) 06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA)	06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA) 06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA)
06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA) 06/05/2008 - Point Lobos State Park (Carmel, CA)

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