Black-Crowned Night-Heron

Black-Crowned Night Heron

Find me around lakes and marshy areas.  Like my name suggests, I’m most active in the evenings and at night.  Look for my dark head and red eye to distinguish me from other herons.  You can find me year-round in Florida.

Most Likely Found: In the marsh

When: Year-Round

Where I've photographed: Black Skimmer Colonies, Circle B Bar Reserve, Fort De Soto, Lake Apopka, Lake Hancock Outfall Wetlands, Orlando Wetlands, Polk Rookery, Viera Wetlands

Read more: Black-Crowned Night-Heron at Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Ebird: Black-Crowned Night-Heron eBird range


I have written 27 posts including a photo of a Black-Crowned Night-Heron

Green Heron Yawn

Lazy Summer Morning at Lake Apopka

August 9, 2017 - ...More summer photography from the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Lots of juveniles-Pied-billed Grebe, Green Heron, Least Bittern, Purple Martins Read more

Foggy Mornings at the Circle B Bar Reserve

March 21, 2013 - ...On Saturday morning, the sunrise found me out on the Wading Bird Way trail at the Circle B Bar Reserve. I was flabbergasted when my dad also arrived for the sunrise. He’s not a sunrise photographer! As the sun peeked out over the horizon, fog was settling in over the marsh. It was really thick […] Read more

Watching and Waiting

December 19, 2012 - ...This Black-Crowned Night Heron was just sitting in a treetop of Orlando Wetlands. He was watching and waiting, probably planning out his next meal. I like how his bright red eye stands out against the clear blue sky. Read more

More from Circle B Bar Reserve

May 21, 2012 - ...As I drove to work with the rising sun in my eyes this morning, all I could think was that I’d rather be at the Circle B Bar Reserve! :) It’s unusual when I have such a good morning that I have to extend my description to multiple blog posts. This one is looking like […] Read more

Birds Posing on Palms at Viera Wetlands

November 22, 2011 - ...It’s been a while since I went birding anywhere except the Circle B Bar Reserve, so I decided to head over to Viera Wetlands yesterday morning.  I’ve been following the birding news on Birdbrains and I knew that the wetlands aren’t particularly active at the moment, and that was true.  But I did end up […] Read more

Sunrise with a Sora – Circle B Bar Reserve

November 21, 2011 - ...I spent a very pleasant morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve yesterday morning.  I arrived about half an hour before sunrise and made my way out to the Wading Bird Way trail.  It’s one of my favorite sunrise locations on the reserve.   I like to watch the sun peek out from over the trees […] Read more

Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary

July 26, 2011 - ...The Black Skimmer colony that I posted about yesterday is at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, a non-profit bird hospital. I enjoyed walking around and seeing the birds that are under treatment there. They have so many pelicans! Black-Crowned Night Herons hung around all over, offering nice photo ops. When you walk out to the beach, […] Read more

Nesting Season Winds Down at Polk Rookery

July 10, 2011 - ...Today Herman took Dyeyo and me for one last boat ride in the Polk Rookery.  The nesting season has all but ended.  Most of the birds have left, leaving the islands very empty looking.  A few adults and fledglings were still perched at the top of the Brazilian Pepper, allowing for easier subject isolation.  It […] Read more

Father’s Day at the Polk Rookery

June 19, 2011 - ...Dyeyo and I spent a nice Father’s Day morning with Herman at his rookery in Polk County.  That’s always such a fun place to go.  Herman’s little portable boat is awesome for floating between the islands and observing the birds. We started the morning with a Least Bittern – what a way to start the […] Read more

Spoon-Feeding at the Polk Rookery

May 29, 2011 - ...Herman took my dad and me out in his boat again this morning.  The Polk Rookery has changed considerably since my last visit in March.  Then the birds were building their nests, and Great Egrets, Wood Storks dominated the Brazilian Pepper.  Today the rookery was filled with fledgling birds of all sorts: Roseate Spoonbills, Great […] Read more

Bobolink-less Morning at Circle B Bar Reserve

May 14, 2011 - ...Dyeyo and I went to the Circle B Bar Reserve this morning in search of Bobolinks.  These migratory birds can only be found at Circle B for a couple of weeks a year, in the spring during their migration back north.  Various people on the Circle B Flickr page have seen Bobolinks, and Dyeyo found […] Read more

Mothers and Babies at the Circle B Bar Reserve

May 8, 2011 - ...Happy Mother’s Day!  Dyeyo and I spent a few hours at the Circle B Bar Reserve this morning before going to spend some time with my mom.  It seemed appropriate that we saw a bunch of baby birds with their moms today.  :) We hiked the Alligator Alley loop this morning, starting just after sunrise.  […] Read more

More Baby Birds at the Circle B Bar Reserve

April 30, 2011 - ...This morning started out slow at the Circle B Bar Reserve.  We’re getting into the time of year when there are fewer birds at the reserve, and you don’t get as many great photo ops as you do during the winter.  But I find that the baby birds are just as fun to photograph as […] Read more

Let’s Go Build a Nest! (Polk Rookery)

March 20, 2011 - ...Our friend Herman took Dyeyo and me out on his little boat this morning to a rookery in Polk County.  It was so amazing!  Unlike the Gatorland Rookery and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery, this one is totally wild.  There were hundreds of birds there, most of them sporting their breeding plumages.  We saw […] Read more

Sunset Bobcat at the Circle B Bar Reserve

March 11, 2011 - ...I went over to the Circle B Bar Reserve after work today to catch the sunset.  The good news?  I saw the bobcat for the first time ever!!  The bad news?  The Marsh Rabbit Run trail is now closed because the alligators are very active.  There’s a freaky sequence of pictures on the Circle B […] Read more

Our First Afternoon Visit to the Circle B Bar Reserve

October 16, 2010 - ...Dyeyo and I made an unusual late-afternoon trip to the Circle B Bar Reserve today, hoping to get some fun sunset shots. It was strange to be there in the afternoon instead of the early morning. The differences in lighting almost made it feel like a totally new place. When we first got out to […] Read more

Quiet Morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve

September 11, 2010 - ...The Circle B Bar Reserve is my favorite place to be at dawn. The landscape is so beautiful with the sun just peeking out over it, and the critters all waking up to a new day. We were treated to an early-morning view of the Black-Bellied Whistling Duck family. They are usually not out until […] Read more

Migrants Making their Way to Circle B

August 28, 2010 - ...It was a cloudy, foggy, and humid morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve.  As we headed out Heron Hideout into more and more fog, we doubted that we would see much.  But it turned out to be our most productive species morning in several months.  The migratory birds are definitely making their way back […] Read more

Another beautiful morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve

July 18, 2010 - ...Dyeyo and I arrived at the Circle B Bar Reserve at 6:30 am to enjoy a nice warm morning of birding! The sunrise over Lake Hancock was gorgeous.  Since our favorite Marsh Rabbit Run trail is closed, we took the Alligator Alley trail instead.  The breeze down by the lake felt wonderful as we enjoyed […] Read more

Magical Sunrise at Circle B Bar Reserve

June 13, 2010 - ...The sunrise at the Circle B Bar Reserve this morning was magnificent!  The drive over from Orlando was very very foggy, and as the sun rose and burned off the fog over the marsh, the light was just beautiful.  I looked over at a common bunch of grasses, illuminated by the sunrise.  The golden glow […] Read more