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202. Black-crowned Night Heron (Including American Black-crowned Night 
Heron), qua-bird. squawk. Nycticorax nycticorax. L, 24. Plate XIV B. Adult: 
body in soft white and pale grey; cap and back black with greenish reflections. Two long 
(often coherent) white pencil-like plumes falling back from head. Juvenile: light brown- 
ish, heavily striped with light cream above, below, and on neck and head. Yearling: light 
fawn colour on back, lightening, however, to nearly white below and on throat; without 
stripes except vague ones on head. 
Distinctions. About the size of a Bittern, the adult is too distinctly marked tofbe 
confused with anything else. The striped young bird, however, is somewhat similar to the 
Bittern, but never shows decided yellow colours, and the back and wing coverts are coarsely 
marked with white instead of being very finely vermiculated with minute specks of various 
colours. The intermediate plumage is in solid masses without any detail on the back. 
Field Marks. About the size of a Bittern. Black and pearl grey colour of adult and 
brownish appearance of juvenile lacking any yellow tendency. The wing quills are slightly 
if any darker than the back instead of being black as in the Bittern. This species often 
alights in trees or bushes, which the Bittern never does. 
Nesting. Often in communities with Great Blue Herons, either in trees, or on the 
ground in the marsh. 
Distribution. The warmer parts of eastern and western hemispheres. In Canada 
from the east coast throughout the southern prairies to Saskatchewan. 
There is only one eye-sight record for British Columbia, Okanagan lake, although 
the bird is not uncommon in central Washington. 
SUBSPECIES. Occurs in both eastern and western hemispheres. The American 
Black-crowned Night Heron is subspecifically distinct from that of the Old World under 
the name Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. 
The Black-crowned Night Heron is a somewhat heavily built Heron. 
Though not without beauty and grace it lacks the fine, slender lines of most 
of the Herons and resembles the Bittern in build as well as habit. 
Order — Paludicolae. Marsh Birds. Cranes, Rails, etc. 
General Description. This is a poorly-defined order, including a number of families 
of Waders that can be referred to neither the Herons nor the Shore Birds, but superficially 
resemble both. They have four long, well-developed toes, without webs, and legs adapted 
for wading. They are best defined by subfamily description. The Canadian species are 
divided into two suborders : Graes, Cranes; and Ralli, Rails — including the Coots. The young, 
unlike those of the preceding order, are not helpless at birth, but are bom with a complete 
coat of down and can run as soon as hatched. 
SUBORDER— GRUES. CRANES 
So far as Canada is concerned, this suborder may be called the “Large 
Marsh Birds,” a term, however, which has no other warrant than that of 
convenience. In this suborder, as in some of the Swans, the windpipe enters 
a hollow in the keel of the sternum and has similar complicated convol- 
utions (See Figures 148 and 150). 
FAMILY — GRTJIDAE. CRANES 
General Description. Large heron-like birds; dull, slaty blue with rusty overwash; 
or pure white, with black primaries. All colours are in even, over-all tints and there are 
no plumes or crests. 
Distinctions. Distinguished from the Herons by having the forehead as well as the 
space about the eyes bare, or with a sparse sprinkling of peculiarly modified hair-like feathers 
and by the lack of pectinations (See Figure 20, page 26) on middle claw. The bill is shorter 
proportionally than that of the Heron, but more heavily built, in both material and 
shape (compare Figures 19, page 26, and 147 and 149), and the hind toe is elevated above 
the others. 
Field Marks. Cranes fly with outstretched neck instead of with head drawn into the 
shoulders as do the Herons, and contrary to the habits of Herons they often feed in flocks 
on upland fields. 
