BIRDS FOUND IN BAYOUS AND MARSHES 97 



202. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. — Nycticorax 

 nycticorax ncevius. 



Family : The Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns. 



Length: 24.50. 



Adults: Crown, scapulars, and back iridescent black, with greenish 

 reflections ; forehead, sides of head, throat, and under parts cream 

 white ; sides ashy ; sides and back of neck light brownish gray ; 

 wiugs, rump, and tail dusky brownish gray ; head ornamented with 

 a few very long, narrow, white occipital feathers. 



Young : Upper parts grayish brown, each feather marked with a wedge- 

 shaped streak of white ; the quills with white at tips ; tail brownish 

 gray ; under parts striped dark ash-brown and white. 



Geographical Distribution : Nearly all America, except the arctic regions. 



Breeding Range: From Manitoba to South America. 



Breeding Season : April and May. 



Nest : A platform of sticks, bulky ; placed in high trees ; in colonies of 

 2 to 5 in a single tree, and thousands in the close vicinity. 



Eggs: 4 to 6 ; pale greenish. Size 2.15 X 1.55. 



The Black-crowned Night Heron is an abundant resi- 

 dent in all parts of California, breeding in suitable locali- 

 ties. Although these herons prefer a nest in a tree, they 

 frequently build in tule swamps, following the habits of 

 the bitterns. They are gregarious at all times, nesting in 

 large colonies. Except when there are young in the 

 nest, these birds are nocturnal feeders, beginning at 

 dusk. Their food consists largely of frogs. During 

 incubation, one bird remains on the nest constantly, and 

 is fed by the other, who also shares in the sitting. As 

 soon as the young are hatched the fact is made known 

 by the constant foraging for food during the day and 

 carrying it to the nest. It is, however, partly digested 

 and fed to them by regurgitation until they are a week 

 or ten days old. I have never seen anything but frogs, 



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