Bird Calls Radio's Bird of the Day for Tuesday, Aug. 23
Black-crowned night heron by Chris Bosak (copyright)
The Bird Calls Radio Bird of the Day for Tuesday, Aug. 23, is the black-crowned night heron.
The black-crowned night heron is a shortish, chunky heron. Adults are gray and blue and white, with a thick black stripe (or crown) on the head. Juveniles are mottled brown and tan. Like most herons, black-crowned night herons are found near water. This type of heron may be found near salt-, brackish-, or fresh water. I’ve seen them in large numbers in southern Connecticut and have also seen them in as far north as southern New Hampshire.
They eat fish, frogs, crabs and anything else that swims by when they are hunting. I once saw a black-crowned night heron pull a turtle out of the water. It dropped the prey and tried to figure out a way to eat it, but eventually let the turtle crawl away to safety. They also, however, raid bird nests at night, making it a challenge for birds such as terns to raise young.