THE BIRD BOOK 



202. Black-crowned Night Heron. 

 Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. 



Range. — North America from southern British 

 Provinces, southward; winters along the Gulf 

 coast and beyond. 



A well known bird, often called "quawk" from 

 the sound of its note frequently heard in the even- 

 ing. While, in some localities, only a few pairs 

 of these birds are found nesting together, most 

 of them gather together into large colonies dur- 

 ing the breeding season. In New England they 

 generally select a remote pine grove as their 



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Black-crowned Night Heron 

 Yellow-crowned Heron 



Pale bluish, green 



breeding grounds. If not disturbed they will re- 

 turn to this same place each year. Their nests 

 are built of sticks and lined with small twigs, 

 and are placed well up towards the tops of the 

 trees. 



Frequently several nests will be found in the 

 same tree, and I have counted as many as fifty 

 nests in view at the same time. In large swamps 

 in the south they generally nest at a low eleva- 

 tion, while in the marshes of Wisconsin and Minnesota, large colonies of them 

 nest on the ground, making their nest of rushes. Like all Heronries, those of 

 this species have a nauseating odor, from the remains of decayed fish, etc., 

 which are strewn around the bases of the trees. Their eggs number from three 

 to five and are of a pale bluish green color. Size 2.00 x 1.40. Data. — Uxbridge, 

 Mass., May 30, 1898. 4 eggs. Nest of sticks, about thirty feet up in a pine tree. 

 Many other nests. Collector, H. A. Smith. 



203. Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Nyctanassa violacea. 



Range. — Sub-tropical America, breeding along the Gulf coast and to Lower 

 California; casually farther north, to Illinois and South Carolina. 



A handsome grayish colored species, with long lanceolate plumes on the 

 back, and two or three fine white plumes from the back of the head, like those 

 of the Black-crowned species. Its black head, with tawny white crown and ear 

 coverts, renders it unmistakable. This species nests in colonies or by pairs, 

 like the preceding, and very often in company with other Herons. They lay 

 from three to six eggs, very similar in size, shape and color to those of the 

 Black-crowned Heron. 



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