Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

The Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) is a comparatively small heron found in the southern USA, in Central America, and northern South America. The populations in the tropics consist of residents, while the northern birds migrate seasonally. Their favourite habitats are coasts, mangroves, and coastal swamps where they catch their prey which includes crustaceans, molluscs, and other aquatic animals. Generally, the birds are nocturnal, but the photographs already demonstrate that they can be seen during the day occasionally. I was lucky enough to observe a couple of these beautiful birds hunting in coastal waters near the city of Colón, Panama, in March 2014. You may click on the photographs to enlarge them…