\What exquisite breeding plumage – don’t you love the blue-gray feathers edged in white? We’re more likely to see Black-crowned Night Herons in Gloucester Harbor so when a friend texted with a photo of a Yellow-crowned Night Heron I set out the following morning at dawn to see if it was still here. I was on my way to film a segment of the series on “pond babies” that I have been working on and wasn’t expecting the YCNH would still be there. Imagine my delight when finding three all lined up in a row in the beautiful pre-dawn light.

Listen for their exceptionally loud quarking call as the three head out for the morning.

Yellow-crowned Night Herons eat mostly crustaceans (crayfish and crabs) including Fiddler, Marsh, Blue, and Green Crabs. They also feed on mussels, snails, insects, worms, lizzards, snakes, small rodents, eels, pipefish, worms, and even small birds.

According to the survey taken during Mass Audubon’s Breeding Bird Atlas II, the only confirmed record of Yellow-crowned Night Herons breeding in Massachusetts were in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard so we are probably looking at a trio of migratory birds. There is also an adult at one of my pond locations and a number of recent sightings on Cape Cod.

So many thanks to my friend John S. for letting me know the YCNH were at the Harbor!

Compare and contrast –

Yellow-crowned Night Heron 

Black-crowned Night Heron Gloucester

Several years ago, this Black-crowned Night Heron juvenile did not migrate and stayed on Cape Ann for an entire winter.

Yellow-crowned Night Herons (Nyctannassa violacea) and Black-crowned Night herons are the only two night herons in the genus Nyctannassa. BCNH are found around the world whereas YCNH are only found in the Americas.