Black-crowned night heron

The black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), or black-capped night heron, commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia (where it is replaced by the closely related rufous night heron, with which it has hybridized in the area of contact).

Scientific Name : Nycticorax Nycticorax

Family : Ardeidae

Order : Pelecaniformes

Class : Aves

Type : Bitterns, Herons And Egrets

Conservation Status : Least concern (LC)

Size : 64 cm

Compare Size : Kite +-

Wingspan : 115 - 118 cm

Weight : 800 g

Migratory : Resident

Sex Alike : Yes

Nesting Season : April - September in North India. December - February in South India

Other Names :

English : Black-Capped Night Heron, Night Heron

Hindi : अंजन, वाक

Marathi : रातबगळा, रात्रिंचर ढोकरी, रात ढोकरी

Habitat:
Wetlands, Saltmarshes, Freshwater marshes, swamps, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, lagoons, tidal mudflats, canals, reservoirs, and wet agricultural fields

Breeding:
Crabs, Fish Fogs, Aquatic Insects.

Feeding:
Mostly fish but also squid, crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, snakes, clams, mussels, rodents, carrion

Juvenile

Male & Female
Crown	black; In breeding plumge two or three white plumes emerging form edge flanking the nape
Back	black
Head	variable white, pale-grey colouration
Neck	variable white, pale-grey colouration
Underparts	variable white, pale-grey colouration more white in belly and downwards
Iris	red
Legs	short; yellow
Wing	pale-grey
Note : males sllightly larger than females

Immature
Head	grey-brown; streaked
Wing	grey-brown; with feathers having distinct white tips giving a spotted appearance
Back	grey-brown
Neck	grey-brown; streaked
Upperparts	paler; streaked
Iris	orange
Legs	yellowish-green