Tudor Wharf Draft Environmental Impact Report EOEA # 6744 



Natural History 



In order to provide a complete picture of the 

 black-crowned night heron, a short narrative 

 describing important aspects of the heron's 

 natural history has been included. This 

 information was extracted from published 

 scientific literature and other pertinent 

 resources. 



Description 



The black crowned night heron is a medium 

 sized heron, growing to about 26 inches in 

 length. The crown, back and shoulders of 

 adults are black, with the remainder of the 

 wings and tail ashy-grey. The undersides are 

 whitish, legs are yellow and the irises are a 

 conspicuous bright red. 



Immature birds lack the black crown entirely. 

 Their plumage is grayish-white with streaks 

 of brown on the head and undersides, streaks 

 and spots of rusty-brown and white on the 

 back and dusky-brown primary feathers. Irises 

 are brown, and legs, a pale greenish yellow. 



Feeding Habits 



Black crowned night herons most commonly feed 

 in tidal creeks, the edges of ponds and 

 swamps with standing water. They usually feed 

 singly, often in areas several miles from the 

 nest. They feed on a wide variety of aquatic 

 organisms, including fish, amphibians and 

 invertebrates . 



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