Black-crowned Night-Heron

The next in my series of Winged Visitors to City Beautiful, Chandigarh is Black-crowned Night Heron. The Black-crowned Night-Heron is a black, white and grey bird, identified by its black cap and back, white neck and grey wings, stocky build and with neck usually tucked in. In flight, it has a distinctive compressed outline with broad, round wings. It’s toes only barely extend beyond its tail.

The black cap goes forward to a white line above the bill. The sides of the head and thick neck are white. The thick, down curved bill is black. The lore’s are green blue; the irises are crimson red. The back is black, and the upper wings, rump and tail are grey. The belly is white to pale grey. The relatively short legs and feet are pale yellow. White plumes grow from the head to the back of the night heron which is used for attracting mates during the breeding season and to display various acts.

Females average smaller than males in most measurements and have shorter head plumes during the breeding season.  Juveniles have brown plumage, very different from that of the adults . The head and upper parts are grey brown with buff, white, or rufous spots. 

Birds migrate at night alone or in small groups.  The night heron is a nocturnal bird and hunts its prey during the night. It is an ambush predator that kills marine fishes by stalking and standing near the water edge. Some species of night herons also hunt during the evening or early morning. Night Herons often remain crouched under overhanging branches during the day.